Across the Hallway
by Redeeming Endeavor
Summary: A story containing loosely related events revolving around the same group of people.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Kairi awoke to a dark room, pulling away from the drowsiness of sleep. She lay still, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. The fan above spun at the slowest setting, humming with every revolution.

Sitting up, the redhead stretched her arms above her, releasing a yawn that forced an escape. It was not uncommon for Kairi to wake up at this hour: she normally had to use the bathroom at least once during the night. Throwing off her covers, the girl walked to the door of her bedroom and quietly turned the knob. Directly across from her own room, the door of one of her roommates was left open. She peeked inside, noticing no one inside. She shrugged to herself, taking a left and dragging her feet to the bathroom.

It was not until she left the bathroom that she noticed the dim light pouring into the hallway a little farther down. Wondering if someone had left the light on, she walked down the long hallway, peering left into the living room and kitchen.

The lone light fixture hanging in the kitchen was on, partially covered by the cabinets that blocked the view. A black table rested against the wall, with a pair of chairs placed neatly under the two sides perpendicular to the wall. Peering through the opening between the cabinets and the counter, Kairi walked out into the living room.

She sighed in relief when she found a familiar face in the kitchen, busily whisking away at whatever was in the bowl that he held tightly in his arms. Now awake, she decided to walk out to see what he was making in place of returning to her bed.

As she approached, he looked up to meet her eyes and smiled. "Kairi. I didn't think anyone was awake. I hope it wasn't me that woke you."

She shook her head, narrowing her eyes in the kitchen light. "No, I woke up by myself," Kairi replied. She noticed that he continued stirring at a chocolate mix. "What are you doing?"

He stopped mixing and placed the bowl on the counter, pulling out a square baking pan from under the oven. "I'm making brownies. I…" He seemed hesitant to explain himself, but continued to speak, "I bake when I can't sleep. I know it's pretty girly, but something about it helps me calm down enough to rest." He prepared a baking pan, making sure to evenly cover the surface.

Kairi pulled a chair from under the square kitchen table that sat nearby. "I don't think it's girly at all." A smile made its way onto the girl's face as she watched him pour the mixture into the pan. "Is it safe to be baking when you could fall asleep during one of the thirty or so minutes it takes to make that?"

He smiled in return. "I wouldn't know. I've done this so many times and I've never fallen asleep. I typically fall asleep_ after _it's done. Maybe it has to do with waiting for something that makes me sleepy." He guessed, placing the tray inside the oven. "This is probably the best part of baking though. Would you like some?" Sora held out a spatula covered in brownie mix.

"I suppose a small taste won't keep me up forever." She reached out with a finger and took a swipe at the spatula, tasting the mix Sora threw together. "Tastes pretty good."

"Always does." He shamelessly licked the spatula, earning a laugh from the watching girl. "Do you normally wake up this early? I mean, I haven't done one of these sessions since before you moved in, so I was just wondering."

"I typically have to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. Don't know why." She shrugged, propping her head on her hand. "Oh, while I'm on the topic of bathrooms… you're pretty good with keeping the toilet seat down. Xion complains about Riku all the time, but I haven't fallen into the toilet yet."

Sora laughed, folding his hands behind his head. "For most of my life, it's always been just my mother and me. You could say that I came house-trained."

Kairi smiled, looking away from him. "Do you ever miss living with her?"

Sora thought for a moment. "Nah. I got used to living by myself thanks to college. Plus, it's a lot of fun living with friends, isn't it?"

"Living with you, Riku, and Xion has certainly been an interesting experience." She nodded slowly, laughing with him under the kitchen light. "I'm kidding. It's been pretty enjoyable, in my opinion. Though I never asked..." She leaned forward onto the table, folding her arms before her. "You don't have a problem with me being here, right? I know it was sudden and everything."

"Aww, don't sweat it!" Sora chuckled. Though tempted to lick the inside of the bowl, he restrained himself and addressed Kairi. "If anything, you coming to live with us was a relief to me. I mean, you can imagine how third wheel-ish I felt around those two."

Kairi nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I see where you're coming from." Still, Kairi felt like her abrupt appearance was reason of concern. "Question: how did Xion tell you guys that I was going to move in?"

Sora laughed, placing the bowl off to the side. "She sat us down like a week before you showed up and said 'so one of my friends from high school is going to be staying with us.' Kinda funny."

Kairi covered her face with her hands. "I knew she was going to wait for the last possible moment that could be considered remotely polite."

"Kairi, relax!" Sora laughed at the newest resident of their apartment. "You reduced the rent for me by a good eight percent- don't quote me on that, since that's a complete guess. Yeah, I lost my private bathroom, but look!" He smiled charmingly, raising his hand in her direction. "I got a new friend in the process. I like having you around. I'd rather you be across the hall than Xion anyway. At least you inhabit it."

The auburn-haired girl still had her doubts. "You don't feel cramped at all? What, with four people for a three-person apartment…"

"Are you kidding me?" He leaned back in his chair, his arm draping over the back of it. "It's more fun than ever! It feels like at least one of us is always out at one point in time, so it never feels lonely now that we're breaking the rules. Doesn't it make you feel like a badass too?"

"I don't expect to find 'people who breach their apartment contract' in any definition of badass, to be honest," Kairi said. "It's definitely fun living with you guys. I never thought I'd be living with boys, but you and Riku are pretty fun to have around. I didn't think Xion was serious when she told me to move in with her."

"A friend of Xion's is definitely a friend of ours,s" Sora said confidently. "And what can I say? Apartment B-2 is the place to be." When Kairi shook her head in mock disappointment, Sora groaned with a smile. "Come on. It was funny. The energy in this house is paid with smiles and laughs, so you better get happy!"

The two laughed with each other, their conversation lasting long after the brownies finished. They continued their chat in the small kitchen, sharing their conversation over newly made brownies and milk. Their topics, though random, made for funny discoveries about their common interests and personalities. Kairi found herself growing fonder of her roommate; he just seemed to energize her, his smiles infectious without limitation. Time seemed to flash by, and before they knew it, Riku was awake. The young man entered the kitchen, already dressed for hard working day.

"Morning," The silver-haired medical resident greeted his roommates. "Why are you guys up?"

"I couldn't sleep, so I made brownies last night. Is it really morning already?" Sora asked, stretching in his seat.

"What? We were not here for three hours!" Kairi said in disbelief. The clock on the wall confirmed it for her. "Oh man, I didn't even realize."

"Does it matter? I thought you were off today," Riku said as he ate one of Sora's brownies. All the while, he methodically prepared himself some coffee.

"Last night I agreed to take a coworker's shift from three to closing today." Kairi sighed as she stood.

"Oops. My bad," Sora said sheepishly, standing from the kitchen chair. "Had I known that, I wouldn't have trapped you in a conversation all night."

"It wasn't your fault, Sora. Besides, it was interesting anyway." She tugged at the bottom of her short shorts. "I have about seven hours before I have to get ready for work anyway. I'll just sleep until ten or eleven."

"Wow, so I walk in and that's it? A third person arrives for the party and it's suddenly bedtime for Sora and Kairi!" Riku leaned against the fridge, crossing his arms in staged disappointment.

"Don't take it personally." Kairi giggled as she played with her hair. "We were up talking for half the night. You showing up only reminded us that we needed sleep. Besides, I didn't realize how tired I was until now. I need to catch some sleep."

"Not only that, but you'll be learning the whole morning, whereas I'll be sleeping my life away!" Sora taunted as he yawned. "My life is awesome. Have fun at school or work or whatever you're doing today, Riku." The brunet ran his hands through his hair, walking toward the hallway that led to their rooms.

"Yeah fine, get some sleep. And when you wake up, buy some groceries! We need more coffee creamer," Riku called out. He turned around, eagerly waiting for his coffee to finish.

Sora nodded tiredly, walking closely behind Kairi. She turned around when she reached her door. "Can't believe we stayed up all night talking, Sora. That went by fast."

"Yeah it did. I don't even remember what we were talking about when Riku came in." He walked into his room, leaning against the door frame. He stared back at Kairi, a smile playing at his lips.

"I think we were talking about pajamas." She laughed, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I said I liked your PJ pants. Dinosaurs look good on you."

"Maybe I just look good. Ever think of that?" Sora brushed his shoulders, feigning swagger.

Kairi, on the other hand, giggled as she shook her head. "Good night, Sora."

He yawned, backing into his room. He was ready to fall onto his waiting bed. "Night, Kairi." Their doors closed simultaneously.

Just outside the hallway, Riku leaned against the wall with a smile, clutching his mug close to his body. He noticed something different when he walked into the kitchen that morning: a new kind of relationship was developing between those two. He silently wondered to himself,

How much longer until the boy falls for the girl across the hallway?

* * *

><p><strong>Redeeming Endeavor:<strong> Take care, and I'll see you around!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"You don't have your key either?" Sora asked his friend as they stood outside their apartment.

Kairi shook her head. "I forgot to bring mine. I figured it wouldn't be a problem if you had yours." She shrugged, sitting against the wall with a tired sigh. "Xion said she'd be here in less than ten minutes."

Sora sighed, checking the time on his phone. This was all his fault. Had he remembered to bring his keys when he got out of the car, they'd be inside right now. "I really have to stop doing that." When Kairi looked at him quizzically, he explained, "When I lived with my mom, our car didn't have a remote. I got so used to locking the car with the door switch. Guess that habit is coming back to bite me."

"Hey, it happens," Kairi said. "We won't be out here long, anyway."

"Yeah, but the ice cream might melt!" Sora whined. Kairi laughed at him, making him smile in embarrassment. "What? I don't want it to go to waste. This is strawberry ice cream we're talking about, Kairi. If we don't freeze it soon, it just… it won't be the same."

The girl rolled her eyes, reminding herself of how dramatic Sora could get over food. It was something she learned quickly over the four months of rooming with him.

They waited quietly in the outdoor hallway, Kairi sitting patiently and Sora pacing back and forth. The day was particularly hot, redefining the idea of a summer day. The sun hanged high in the sky, mercilessly heating the area with no clouds to shield it. A blurry haze rested over many of the surfaces outside, giving a mirage-like appearance to objects that were, in fact, actually there. His car, with the keys locked inside, sat in the hot parking lot, taunting him when it came into sight. Despite that, he kept pacing. Sora was grateful that they were shaded from the sun, but he still worried about his groceries. Sweat began forming on his forehead, which he quickly wiped every couple seconds. His thoughts returned to his food. What if it was already melted? What about the other things? Would the milk go bad too? But then, what would Sora drink with his Oreos? Would he be forced to eat them without milk now too? There simply wasn't a substitute, and Sora could not, or would not, eat those wonderful treats without it's complement.

He panicked. Without a doubt, this was a crisis of epic proportions. There was no way he was going to let his ice cream go uneaten. He also paid three dollars for that milk, and being the cheapskate he was, consuming the two now was not outside his options.

"The spoons!" Sora shouted triumphantly. Kairi twitched from her place on the floor, startled by the loud statement. "We bought spoons!"

The redhead raised a brow at her friend. Had he snapped? "I don't think we have to worry about that melting," she said, watching Sora dig through the bags on the ground. "Sora, relax. Xion said she'd be here—"

"Found it!" He ignored Kairi, ripping open the bag of plastic spoons. Who knew that his laziness over washing dishes would lead him to buying spoons, which in turn would lead him to save his ice cream and enjoy it—

"Are you seriously going to eat your ice cream right now?" Kairi laughed, bringing a hand up to cover her shaking head. "You have a tendency to overreact when it comes to food."

"Say what you will, Kairi, but this is an emergency. Xion won't be here for another twenty minutes—"

"She actually said less than ten."

"— so desperate times call for desperate measures. I am not letting my strawberry ice cream go to waste, nor am I going to starve out here in this desert," he said with resolve.

Kairi covered her face in shame. Not only were they in a sandy wasteland, but now he was going to starve to death in the seven or so minutes it would take for Xion to arrive. She looked at Sora dig through the bags, raising a brow when he squealed upon finding his frozen treat. She sighed. He was a lost cause. "Sora?"

The boy in question whipped his head in the direction of his friend. "Yeah?"

Kairi held her hand out, not getting up from her spot on the floor. "Hand me a spoon too."

Sora grinned widely. He took one of the plastic spoons and placed it in her hand, and then proceeded to tear off the lid of his ice cream carton. "Quick, we have to save it!"

Kairi laughed as he hopped over to her, dropping quickly into a sitting position beside her. He held the carton the reverently she would have thought it had contained something a little more important. "If by saving it you mean consuming it," Kairi said as she took a small scoop, "then I will try my best."

Sora dug in shortly after, humming in delight after the first bite. The ice cream was perfect, especially on such a ridiculously hot day. "It's just comforting to know that I won't be dying from a heat stroke before Xion gets here." He said with a contented sigh. He noticed Kairi staring at him for a while before slowly nodding.

They ate in silence for a while, taking turns scooping from the strawberry reservoir. Kairi admitted to herself that the ice cream was certainly a relief from the heat. Despite the manner of how they arrived at this point, she was thankful that Sora freaked out just a tad. She stared at the door that mirrored theirs, a mere ten feet across the hall. In a typical cursive address, the black B-4 stuck out from the white door, just below the peephole.

Sora occasionally glanced at Kairi, noting how she stared passively as she ate. He turned his head in line with her eyes' trajectory, landing on the apartment number opposite theirs. "I wonder what happened to B-3."

Snapping out of her trance, Kairi looked over at her friend in confusion. "What do you mean?"

He grinned, swallowing another spoonful of ice cream. "You mean you didn't notice?" When Kairi shook her head, he continued: "Complex B doesn't have a third room. If you look at all the others, like Complex D, you'll see that there's a D-3. It's the same throughout. But Complex B, for some reason, skipped the third room. That," Sora said, "or they simply had a lapse in counting when they were assigning room numbers."

Kairi smiled, tapping her spoon against her lips. "Huh. That's pretty strange." She reached over to the carton sitting on Sora's lap and took more ice cream. "Pretty classy place we got here."

"Oh yes. Real classy." His sarcastic remark was followed by a loud thud against the door of Apartment B-4. He and Kairi immediately fell silent, fearing that they had been heard or had been disturbing someone. They glanced at each other quickly before staring at the door again, the person behind the door shuffling loudly on the other side.

To both of their surprise, the door didn't open.

"The front? Really, Roxas?" a muffled voice, belonging to a girl, asked breathily. Sora and Kairi looked at each other as soon as they heard, equally confused at what they heard.

"Naminé, you can't walk around in your underwear and expect me not to do anything," a masculine voice replied huskily. Kairi blushed madly next to Sora, who instead was gaping in amusement. He held a hand over his open mouth, nudging Kairi with his elbow.

There was another thump against the door, which by now Kairi and Sora assumed was a person slamming against the barrier. "I'm not standing the whole time." The girl's whisper came out strained. "I don't even think I can."

"Your pick this time."

"Kitchen table or couch?"

"Which one is closer?"

"Couch."

The presence behind the door disappeared and the hallway fell silent once again. The two roommates stared at each other, one with eyes widened in shock and the other snickering like a little boy who just caught two people kissing under the playground during recess. They stayed quiet for reasons they didn't really think about.

The brunet leaned closer to his roommate. "Did that really just happen?" he whispered with a laugh.

Kairi merely stared at Apartment B-4 with deer eyes. "I'd like to think it didn't, but I'd say we unofficially met the neighbors." She buried her face in her hands,

Sora chuckled in his place, smiling like a mad man. "That was real! Oh my gosh, that actually happened!" He threw his head back, leaning against the hard wall. "Roxas and Naminé, huh? Pretty interesting group of people."

"Oh gosh, that took longer than expected! Sorry, sorry!" Xion came bursting into the hall, gingerly running toward her friends. "How are you guys? Did you have to wait long?" She walked up to the door and immediately began unlocking it.

Sora stood up, holding a hand out for Kairi and helping her to her feet. His other hand securely held what was left of his strawberry ice cream. "Didn't feel like that long at all."

"Yeah, we…" Kairi shook her head, restarting her thought process. "We kept ourselves occupied. Sort of. Don't worry about the keys, Sora, I got it." The redhead zipped by, grabbing the spare key from a nearby drawer and exiting the apartment.

With a shrug, Sora took in all the bags of groceries and set them on the table. "Have you ever met the neighbors, Xion?" He looked over his shoulder when he asked.

"Not really. I've seen a blond guy going into that apartment before, but never really spoke to him. Why do you ask?" She poured herself a glass of water and took a long drink, sighing loudly after the gulp.

"They sound like interesting people. Kairi and I overheard them… talking while we waited. I think they're dating."

"Someone else lives that with that guy?"

"Yup. And the guy's name is Roxas. The girl is Naminé." Sora turned around, spreading his arms out with a smile. "The more you know."

"Huh. Feel free to invite them over then. I think it'd be nice if we made friends who lived nearby." Xion refilled her glass and closed the refrigerator. "Well, I need a shower. I have a long shift tonight and I need to feel fresh."

"All right. I'll remember to save some dinner for you when you get back!" Sora grinned, putting away most of the groceries. As Xion walked to her room, Kairi came back from the car, softly closing the door behind her. Sora watched her make her way to the fridge and pull out a bottled margarita. "Now that looks like a good idea." Sora nodded in approval.

Kairi nodded with a smile, bringing the bottle to her lips and taking a sip. "I feel stressed for some reason. Maybe this'll help."

"One can only hope. Besides, there's always alcohol in our fridge!" Sora declared with pride. Finishing with the last of the groceries, he pulled out his own drink— a hard lemonade— and dropped onto the couch next to Kairi. "So I was talking with Xion just now… and I have yet to ask Riku about any of this, but…"

"Yes?" Kairi asked in apprehension. She got the feeling that she should be dreading the question.

"What do you think of inviting our neighbors over for dinner this weekend?"

* * *

><p><strong>Redeeming Endeavor:<strong> Take care, and I'll see you around!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The room was eerily silent as Xion and Riku ate their dinner. With Kairi and Sora out working, the two were left alone in the apartment. It was the first time in three weeks since they had been able to eat with just each other. Their clashing work schedules and presence of roommates often disrupted any private time.

Luckily for them, Sora had prepared a dinner with simple directions before he left. Despite sitting in the oven for at least an hour after it was cooked, the roasted chicken on their plates tasted marvelous. A bowl of mashed potatoes was placed in the center of the kitchen table, in reach of both of the diners. The sun was still in the process of setting, the orange light slipping through the blinds into the living room. The couple ate quietly; the only sounds made were the knives and forks scraping against the plates.

Xion broke the silence. "Did Sora and Kairi talk to you about the neighbors coming over for dinner this weekend?" She poured more red wine into her glass, careful not to spill anything.

Riku nodded, refraining from speaking until he finished chewing. "Yeah. I don't know why they're suddenly interested, but I'm fine with it. I won't be getting home until late on Friday anyway."

"Will you be home in time for movie night?" Xion asked, pausing in her meal. "Last time you picked the movie for this week."

"Well I didn't know that I'd have to be at the hospital until eight," he answered curtly. Silence once again engulfed the couple.

Xion breathed quietly as she chewed, wondering why there wasn't a conversation going. Normally, she and Riku would have a lot to talk about. Her assumption that they'd have enough topics was far from correct. Wasn't he going to ask her about her day? Shouldn't he be telling her some funny stories about his classmates or any weird experiences? "You're not very talkative today. Do you have anything you wanna tell me?"

"Not really. I don't have much to say." He continued eating, keeping his eyes from meeting hers.

"Oh. All right."

"Okay then."

Silence.

Having eaten most of her food, Xion resorted to poke at the mashed potatoes left on her plate. The silence was eating away at her, making her uncomfortably paranoid that there was a problem between them. "Is everything all right?"

Riku flashed his eyes to look at her before returning them to his food. "Regarding what exactly?"

"Us," Xion said quietly, her posture deflating slightly. "Regarding us."

"I don't think there's a problem. I certainly don't have one. Do you?"

His words provided no comfort. She averted her eyes from his hard gaze. "No, I don't." She brought the fork to her mouth, idly trying to finish her meal. For some reason, she was no longer hungry. "Do you think it was a bad idea letting Kairi move in?"

With his wine glass raised to his lips, Riku raised a brow in question. "Why do you say that? It's been great having Kairi around, right?"

"Oh no, I agree!" Xion said quickly, waving her hand in front of her in defense. "It's just… was it a healthy decision for us?"

Riku placed his glass down and leaned forward. "What do you mean?"

Xion rubbed at her arm, staring at her empty plate. "We've been dating since we were sixteen, Riku, and we've pretty much done everything save for getting married. I don't have a problem with Kairi living with us, but I'm worried that it's a bad idea that _we_ are living together. And not only that, we're sharing a room. I'm afraid that we're spending too much time together and you're getting tired of me." She squirmed uncomfortably. This wasn't exactly how she envisioned her dinner to turn out.

"Xion, we barely spend time together despite everything you said!" Riku raised his voice in exasperation. "The only time we're together is at night, and by then both of us are exhausted or asleep!"

"I know that, but I can't help but feel that you're tired of me!" Xion pressed her back to the chair, a frown on her face. "I know we've been dating for a really long time and that's normal, but I can't help but feel living together is just going to lead you to—" She stopped speaking, closing her mouth tightly. Her shoulders drooped sadly as she leaned her head back, staring at the ceiling with watery eyes.

Riku sighed, a sad smile on his face. "Xion." When she didn't respond, he called again. "Xion, come on. Look at me." She finally met his eyes, staring at him hopelessly. "I'm not going to break up with you, and I'm nowhere near tired of you either. Maybe I haven't said it in a while— and failing to remind you is my fault— but I still love you, Xion."

Riku noted the twitch in her lips. The frown on her face was now a conscious effort. "Are you sure? I understand if—"

"I'm sure, Xion. I'm actually glad that we share the same room. Kairi moving in was good for all of us. I've also gotten used to waking up with you beside me in the morning."

This time, a small smile made its way onto his girlfriend's face. "You're not just saying that to make me feel better?"

"I'm saying it because I mean it, but I also hope it makes you feel better," he said with a smile. "I don't want to turn into one of those couples that end up together because they've become dependent. I actually enjoy your presence, and that hasn't changed. I even wish we had more time to spend together, more time for us. I'm sorry that you felt that way, and I really hope I can fix that. Tell you what… since I'm going to be late for movie night, why don't we watch a movie tonight? The other two won't be home until ten anyway."

Feeling much better, Xion nodded. "We can always do something else for the time being and just postpone movie until you get home."

"I'll probably be too tired to watch. Besides, you look like you're up for snuggling on the couch." Riku smirked, standing up and taking the dishes from the table. "Come on, it'll be like our old dates. Only this time, your dad won't be sitting on the armchair trying to disguise his staring."

Xion laughed at the memories from high school. It really made her think about how long she and Riku had actually stayed together. "That sounds good to me."

"Good to hear. Now go pick a movie. I'll meet you on the couch." Riku flashed a smile before placing a quick kiss on her lips. Xion lingered, her hand resting on his arm.

"Thank you, Riku." The words came out before she could think. "I shouldn't have worried. I love you."

He hugged her tightly, pulling her closer to him. "I love you too, Xion."

* * *

><p>"Riku… hey, Riku!"<p>

The young man stirred in his sleep, opening his eyes and finding his best friend's face in sight. "Ngh, Sora?" He shielded his eyes from the light of the TV. "What time is it?"

"It's almost midnight. You fell asleep on the couch," Sora whispered. Riku felt the weight of another person on his arm; he turned his head to see Xion sleeping soundly beside him, her arms wrapped around one of his own.

"Why are you home so late?" Riku stretched his back, trying his best not to wake Xion.

"Kairi and I had some drinks- well, I only had a sip of something- after I came by to get her from work. You okay?" Sora asked as he stood straighter.

"Yeah, we were just watching a movie." Riku carefully took his arm from Xion, steadying himself on his feet. "I'm gonna go to bed."

"Yeah. G'night, Riku." Sora walked off, presumably to his room. Riku found the remote to the TV and turned it off, turning back to his sleeping girlfriend. He smiled at her peaceful expression, her chest rising and falling in a slow, rhythmic motion. Tucking an arm around her legs and torso, he lifted her as gently as he could.

"Hmm." Xion stirred in her sleep, almost causing Riku to lose his balance. "Riku?"

"Easy, Xion. We're going to bed," Riku whispered. He carried her in the dark, careful not to bump into anything. She curled against him, her breaths evenly parted. Making his way into their room, he carefully set her on the bed, closed their door, and climbed in beside her. Sighing tiredly, he wrapped his arm around her smaller body. He smiled to himself as he felt her arm drape over his, grasping his hand.

In minutes, the couple surrendered to the silent darkness and slipped into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Redeeming Endeavor: <strong>Take care, and I'll see you around!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Six months ago, Apartment B-4 was an empty, pathetic excuse of an abode. The rooms were bare, dust covering the whitewashed walls and the broken tiles. The two bedroom apartment was simply uninhabitable. Prospective residents would cringe as they passed, wondering why the owners of the complex did nothing to improve its condition. It wasn't a surprise that the apartment was going for a significantly reduced price compared to the prices of the other rooms.

Six months ago, Apartment B-4 was a wreck. It wasn't until five months ago that a couple took the poor apartment room under their wing and spruced it up.

* * *

><p>If someone were to open the doors of the miscounted rooms of Complex B, they would unanimously agree that Apartment B-4 was a dream apartment. From the door, the modern-designed living room was the first to please the eyes. Decorated with warmly colored artwork and white sofas, the room exuded a comfortable serenity that turned the apartment into a home. Reds, oranges, and yellows were splashed about, providing a bright contrast against the shiny whites of the rounded and curvy chairs. A flatscreen TV was mounted on the wall, flanked by two upright speakers set atop a small white platform that contained a variety of DVDs and players.<p>

A single red wall defied the uniformity of its white counterparts, providing an asymmetrical ambience in the living room. The horizontal blinds filtered the sunlight in, allowing just enough to light the room at a comforting level. Any more would make the whites in the room blinding; any less would take away from the well-thought color combinations and furniture placements. A high-tech clock rested high on the wall adjacent to the door, its hands and numbers digitized on its face.

To the left of the entrance was an immaculate kitchen. Stainless steel handles connected to the dark cherry wood of the cabinets, pairing with the hard and reflective surfaces of the appliances. The style could easily be identified as modern and minimalist: nothing in the kitchen was obnoxiously colored, and the scheme itself was sleek, smooth, and clean. A round table was placed a few steps away, standing above the large white tiles of the clean floor.

Various objects sat atop the black granite counter: a glass bowl of fruit sat at the center under the suspended cabinets, a welcomed splash of color in the otherwise efficiently-designed room. A stack of mail, a set of car keys, and a few photos of family and friends were arranged neatly in thought-out placements. Three lights hung from the ceiling, their translucent white shades narrowing the light to perfectly complement the design.

A short set of stairs, coated in plush white carpet, led to the bedrooms of the apartment. To the left was one room and a bathroom; on the right, the hallways led further down to the larger of the two rooms.

In here, a couple slept comfortably in bed, taking a lazy late afternoon nap that would begin their weekend.

* * *

><p>"Roxas," a familiar voice called out in a sleep voice. "Roxas, I think someone is knocking at the door."<p>

"Mmhmm." The young man stretched, draping an arm over the owner of the voice. "It'll go away, Naminé." Roxas heard the girl next to him inhale loudly, something she normally did when she was about to get out of bed. "No, stay here with me," He said, pulling her body closer to his.

His hands tickled her bare sides. "We have to answer the door, Roxas. It's rude to ignore it," she said.

Roxas opened his eyes to stare into the blue pair of his partner. His eyes trailed down her naked body, ending as her lower body remained hidden under the covers. "You're naked," he stated simply. Still drawing himself out of drowsiness, he buried his face into his pillow, using his right arm to keep the girl in place.

"That's why you're answering the door. Get up while I get changed," she said as she ran her hands through her messy hair.

"I have to get changed too." He tried to keep Naminé in place, but she slipped out of his embrace with a little effort. He groaned. "Why can't we just sleep?" he asked as he sat up, throwing the covers off.

"Because whoever is outside is still knocking," Naminé said. "Just put some pants on and answer the door already."

Roxas stood, collecting his clothing that he had discarded in a rush just hours ago. As he quickly put on underwear and jeans, he grumbled to himself about how annoying other people were, much to the amusement of Naminé. He stumbled down the stairs, jogging to the door. Roxas raised a brow at the sight of two unfamiliar faces.

"Hi!" The young man greeted cheerily, the smile on his face reaching his eyes. The redhead standing next to him stared at Roxas like a deer caught in the headlights.

An awkward silence prevailed for a few seconds before Roxas spoke. "Uh, hi. Is there something wrong?" Roxas asked slowly in confusion. The girl still stared at him with wide eyes. Roxas was sure he had seen that look before and soon arrived at an inescapable conclusion: the girl was probably tripping on LSD. Slightly uncomfortable, he made sure to block the threshold with his body, leaning against the half-opened door.

"Oh, where are my manners?" The guy stuck his hand out, scratching his wild hair with his other hand. "I'm Sora. This is Kairi. We're your next door neighbors from across the hall!" Sora pointed behind him with his thumb, indicating that he was from Apartment B-2.

"Oh. I'm Roxas. Nice to meet you guys." Roxas shook his hand, still confused as to why they were at his door. And why was that girl staring at him like that? Was it because he wasn't completely dressed? Maybe he should have put a shirt on before answering the door. "So is there anything I can help you guys with?"

"Actually, we… Kairi, why don't you tell him?" Sora turned to the girl standing with him, who immediately snapped out of her daze.

Roxas noted that he had been wrong about her on LSD.

"Sora and I were wondering if you and your… oh, you're married." The girl expressed her realization mid-sentence.

A smile broke onto Roxas's face. Naminé had always told him that women noticed things like that first. "Uh, yeah. I live with my wife, Naminé," Roxas explained, pushing the door open a little more. Sora and Kairi didn't seem like dangerous people.

"I see." Kairi nodded as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I wanted to say that you and your wife are invited to have dinner with us… and our other roommates. We prepared more food because we thought our friends from out of town would be arriving tonight, but we found out they won't be here until tomorrow morning. We'd love it if you wanted to join us."

The couple— at least, Roxas assumed they were— smiled at him as they waited for a response. Faced with a decision, Roxas settled on his go-to tactic, his fail-proof option and often first resort.

"Let me ask my wife."

Oh, how he had grown used to using those words.

"Okay!" Sora nodded happily. "Take your time, there's really no rush."

"Oh! You guys can come in, if you want. Sorry for making you wait outside," Roxas said quickly before stepping aside. The two walked in, thanking him politely. "I'll be right back. Feel free to sit on the couch and make yourselves at home." While Sora nodded with a smile once again, Kairi suddenly stared at the couch like it had turned into a werewolf. He ignored it, thinking that it was a normal occurrence for her. Maybe she was just that weird.

He dashed up the short flight, quietly entering their bedroom. Naminé walked out of the bathroom wearing a white sundress, her hair brushed neatly. "Who was it downstairs?"

"Our neighbors. They wanted to know if we'd join them for dinner," Roxas said as he slipped on a white t-shirt. "Decide quickly. They're waiting downstairs."

Naminé looked away from her reflection to roll her eyes at Roxas. "I have to make the decision now?"

"I don't do anything without the consent and approval of my darling wife," Roxas replied coyly, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "If it means anything, we have nothing to eat tonight. I was planning on ordering Chinese take-out."

"Are they downstairs?"

"Yup, waiting on our decision. I invited them in," he replied. Naminé proceeded to go downstairs and greet their guests. Roxas quickly followed after her, wondering what her decision would be.

"Hi there, I'm Naminé." Roxas watched his wife greet the neighbors with handshakes. He noticed that the two had not taken a seat and instead stood patiently for them. "It's nice to finally meet some of our neighbors."

"Likewise!" Sora replied cheerily. Roxas's eye twitched. The guy was obnoxiously happy. It almost made him sick.

The girl, Kairi, spoke up after shaking Naminé's hand. "You have a _really _nice place here. It kinda puts our apartment to shame."

Naminé smiled brightly at the compliment. "Thank you! Interior design is actually my field. I'm glad you noticed!"

"It's pretty amazing," Sora said. "I also noticed your kitchen. You've got a really nice stove, and your knife set is amazing! Where did you get it?" Sora asked eagerly.

"The knives were wedding gifts, actually. We got the stove and the rest of the appliances when we fixed this place up," Roxas said.

Sora brought a hand to his chin in thought. "Wedding gifts, huh? I need to get married," he joked, getting a laugh out of everyone in the room. "So would you guys like to come over for dinner? Offer still stands, in case you forgot."

"We'd love to, actually," Naminé replied. "We can be over in about five minutes. I just have to finish cleaning something upstairs and you can expect us at your door."

"That's great!" Kairi said excitedly. "Everything will be prepared by then."

"Yeah, that sounds perfect. See you guys in a bit?" Sora asked as they made their way to the door. Roxas nodded.

"Yeah. Thanks for the invite." He smiled at the one last time before closing the door behind them. He turned to his wife with a curious smile. "So?"

"So?" she replied cryptically as she headed upstairs.

"Did you say yes out of politeness, or are you really looking forward to knowing these people?" He followed her upstairs.

"I said yes for more than one reason. Besides…" she trailed off, fixing the bed and picking up a few articles of clothing strewn about the room.

"Besides?" Roxas waited for her to finish her thought.

"I'm starving." she said. "Dinner with the neighbors sounds lovely right about now."

* * *

><p><strong>Redeeming Endeavor: <strong>Huge thanks to **kaosfanatic, Kingdom Hearts Otaku, 0Wishful-Thoughts0, Dragginninja, Revenge of the Red Pen, DestinyKeyblader28, elspoek1, Haleybird, **and **GreyPurpleBlack** for reviewing, making guesses, and helping out with some corrections! Also, thanks to anyone who favorited, alerted, and read this little container of scenes and ideas.

Thanks for reading. Take care, and I'll see you around!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

In her head, Kairi painted the image of trailer trash people with a disgusting house living across the hall in apartment B-4. Maybe they'd have six kids already, and that Naminé lady would come out wearing an over-sized shirt with a Disney character on it. And Roxas, that pervert that decided to do _it_ against a door (there could have been children walking about!), appeared in her head as some dirty, uneducated man that did nothing but drink beer on the couch all day.

Needless to say, she wasn't as keen as Sora was on inviting them over for dinner. But who could resist that pleading smile of his? She guessed that only a soulless person could ignore his cute charm. And she certainly had a soul, regardless of the opinion held by those on the internet.

So when she and Sora met the people of Apartment B-4, Kairi was blown away. Not only were they _not_ trailer trash, but their house was amazing and clean. On top of that, Roxas was not trailer trash.

The man was freaking _beautiful._

Her mother wasn't lying when she said all the best guys she'd run into in her life would be happily married. She couldn't stop staring at him when he greeted them at the door. Then, she really only remembered he was married when he offered them a seat on the couch. Kairi proceeded to stare at the thing like it was infected, but she had to wonder: who was the lucky girl that wore his ring on her finger?

She wasn't disappointed when she met Naminé. Though she wasn't exactly a model, she had that cuteness about her. Neither a hot edge, nor a sultry or voluptuous kind of beauty, but more of a homely kind of appearance. She looked like the kind of girl someone married because they'd been friends since childhood. The dependable, loving wife that really made the man she saw.

The rapping at the door startled Kairi from her daydream.

"Kairi, can you get that?" Sora asked as he quickly checked the food in the oven. "They're here!"

"The neighbors?" Xion asked as she came out of her room, pulling her black tank top down to cover her waist. "Great. Guess I have to change into something a little nicer." She turned on her heel and walked back to her room, closing the door behind her.

Kairi unlocked the door. The couple— Kairi noted the matching white clothing— smiled when they saw her. "Hi there! Come on in, the food's just about ready." She stepped aside to allow them into her shared home. She quickly felt self-conscious: did they notice how much better their apartment was compared to hers? "Sorry about the apartment, none of us really got the chance to decorate. I hope you don't mind."

"Kairi, it's nice!" Naminé laughed, looking around. "It feels like home, and that's what matters. Besides, some people like this austere appearance."

"Hi guys! You can come over and have a seat at the table. I'll have the food out in a bit!" Sora greeted from the kitchen.

"It smells really good," Roxas complimented. Kairi led them to the enlarged table in the small dining room area. "What did you make?"

"Oh, you know… the usual, I guess." Sora scratched the back of his head. "I threw together whatever I felt like cooking and settled on Italian. To start, we'll be having fried mozzarella with marinara sauce. I prepared two different dishes: fettuccine alfredo with a homemade twist to it, and chicken parmesan. And, if there's room, I actually made tiramisu for dessert. Sorry for the simplicity, but I figured that I'd go with the most popular dishes in most restaurants. I figured that in likelihood, you'd like it."

Naminé and Roxas stared at the brunet in surprise. "I'm sorry, but did you say 'the usual' before all of that?" Roxas laughed.

"It's generally that simple, yes." Sora nodded with a smile. He threw a towel over his shoulder, examining the pots and pans on the stove. "Feel free to start on the mozzarella. I've kept it in the oven to keep warm."

Kairi smiled as Naminé gasped in surprise when the dish came into view. Sora was really showing off tonight: six triangles of fried mozzarella were arranged neatly in a standing position. A small bowl of marinara was placed at the end of the row, providing something for the food to lean upon. Sora always took pride in his plating; it seemed that he impressed the guest.

"My goodness, when you invited us over for dinner, I didn't think I'd be eating in a restaurant!" Naminé marveled at the sight, sitting at the table as Sora placed the dish down. The six-chaired table was already prepared with the appropriate forks and knife. Naminé and Roxas pulled out adjacent chairs along the side, while Kairi sat across from Naminé.

"Sora recently finished with culinary school. You won't believe the quality of food he makes for us," Kairi gushed. The young man in question blushed in embarrassment. "The food is probably one of the best parts of living with Sora. He just has to get used to cleaning up all the stuff he uses."

"I wondered why you noticed the knife set of all things in our house. You're a chef." Roxas smiled in realization.

Sora shook his hands in front of him, chuckling. "Oh not a chef, but a cook; I can hardly even call myself that," he said earnestly.

"Well hello there! You must be the neighbors!" Xion came smiling into the room, now donning a flower-patterned dress of gold and red. The guests stood up to greet her.

"Hi there. I'm Roxas." He stuck his hand out to her, which she took quickly in a friendly handshake. Kairi noted that Xion's eyes lingered on Roxas when she came in.

The blonde also shook Xion's hand, equally as friendly. "I'm Naminé. It's a pleasure to meet you…"

"Xion. And please, the pleasure is all mine. When Sora told me that we were having guests tonight, I was pretty excited." She clapped her hands together and pulled a chair at the end of the table, sitting down with everyone else. Sora was still frantically working in the kitchen.

"Oh, weren't you expecting friends?" Roxas tilted his head as he asked, a smirk forming on his face.

Kairi thought she would die. Whether it'd be from embarrassment of Xion ruining the excuse to invite them over or from that you-can't-possibly-be-oblivious-to-what-you're-act ually-doing smile of is, she didn't know.

Xion blushed, slapping her cheek lightly. Kairi bit her lip to keep herself from laughing. "Of course! They're coming tomorrow morning actually. Unfortunately I was the only one to know that for a while…"

"Thanks for telling us a couple hours ago too. I'm glad I started cooking before you thought it was important enough," Sora said loudly from the kitchen, stringing along the lie a little further. If there was any suspicion before, there wasn't anymore.

Xion easily held a conversation with the couple until Sora brought the food out. Each plate was prepared with portions of the main course (and sprinkled with some green garnish that Kairi couldn't put a name to) which not only smelled wonderful, but was aesthetically beautiful. Kairi smiled to herself as she watched how Sora reacted to the way Naminé gushed and how Roxas asked if they could come over for dinner more often. She found him to be absolutely adorable when he shrugged and folded his hands behind his head, smiling so widely that those blue eyes of his hid behind a squint.

"Sora, I have no doubt that you will make a fine chef someday," Roxas said after taking his first bites. "And I'm not just saying that because chicken parmesan is one of my favorite dishes. I mean it."

"Heh, thanks! I'm glad to hear that." Sora ate his own food enthusiastically, no doubt judging the taste for himself. He seemed satisfied. Sora then turned to the guests and spoke. "So I know Naminé here does interior design, but what exactly do you do, Roxas? Your place blows ours out of the water, and I can only imagine that you're both successful with what you do."

Roxas looked down at his plate as if to gather his thoughts. "I'd actually pin our apartment's appearance on both Naminé's knack for finding cheap yet classy pieces of furniture and our financial background. We both came from pretty well-off families…"

"Don't undermine your accomplishments, Roxas. We turned that apartment around ourselves! You worked hard, I think you can tell everyone what you do." Naminé gently placed a hand on her husband's shoulder. Kairi again smiled to herself. Maybe she wasn't going to stop thinking that Roxas was beautiful, but she knew for sure that she wasn't going to get in between the couple. They were, Kairi would say, what many would refer to as perfect.

"I'm just your average CPA. My parents worked in the private sector, and it seemed like the natural thing to do. I'm lucky that I actually enjoyed it."

"I'm sure you're much better than you let on," Xion said.

"Well, I don't know about that."

"Oh stop being so modest." Naminé laughed. She looked at everyone at the table. "He's still getting experience, but I think he's doing a fine job so far. He works for Moogle Limited."

"Naminé, that's nothing to brag about!" His reaction elicited laughs around the table. Kairi particularly enjoyed watching the banter between them. It only reminded her of how wrong she was to assume things about them.

"I really think that if I had let you write your own résumé, you'd be jobless right now. Don't be so timid about your work!" Naminé shook her head in mock disappointment. "Well from what me and Roxas gathered, Sora's a cook and definitely a future chef. Xion, Kairi, may I ask what you two do?"

Kairi looked at Xion, who urged her to go first with a nod. Unlike her roommate, she had nothing in her mouth. "I'm just a bartender here at the local bar. Right now, I'm a freelance writer, but I hope to go back to school for an advanced degree in journalism without burying myself in debt."

"And I'm a nurse working full-time at the hospital down the road. I'd say I'm still learning, but I've come a long way in the past year. My boyfriend— Riku, our last roommate— is a resident." The news earned impressed looks from the couple. "He just started that, so in a few years he'll be able to work as he pleases."

"I noticed the extra chair. Will he be coming to join us for dinner?" Roxas asked, stuffing his mouth full with more chicken.

The room silenced at the sound of the door unlocking. Riku stood on the other side, surprised to see everyone at the table. He looked at the five pairs of eyes staring back at him.

"Um… hey." He awkwardly waved. "Sorry I'm late."

* * *

><p><strong>Redeeming Endeavor: <strong>Huge thanks to **Ziddy2343, DestinyKeyblader28, Burai Stelar, 0Wishful-Thoughts0, Kingdom Hearts Otaku**, **elspoek1, Haleybird, **and **Twisting Beliefs**. Also thanks to those who favorited/alerted.

Take care, and I'll see you around!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Kairi animatedly spoke about their recent dinner guests. "I'm going to be honest here. I thought Roxas was gorgeous."

Sora tried to smile at Kairi's words, but instead came out with a pathetically fake laugh. He quickly decided he didn't like this topic.

"Oh yeah he was. I thought you said the guy was a sex addict!" Xion laughed along with Kairi as they cleaned the dishes at the sink.

"That was my initial impression! I didn't think he'd be a sex _god._" Kairi sighed happily. "Naminé is so lucky. How'd she get her hands on that guy?"

"Why? You want one?" Xion put the dried plates away.

"Do I want one? Of course I—"

"He's married, you know," Sora snapped uncharacteristically. The two girls at the sink turned around to stare at him. "Oh. Uh, you know. He looks happy with Naminé. They're both nice people." Sora sheepishly returned to cleaning the counters, careful not to make eye contact.

The girls returned to their work. "I know they're happy… that's why I want my own. I need to ask Naminé if he has a twin and if I can have him!" Xion laughed at the way Kairi talked about it.

Sora didn't find it nearly as funny. Before he could even think about it, he found the words escaping his mouth. "What's so great about him anyway? You know, besides the fact that he's _gorgeous_." The word was dripping with venom. Xion and Kairi, however, didn't seem to notice.

"He's a great guy, Sora. Good-looking, successful, kind… he seems to be everything a girl needs in a husband," Xion explained as she put the last of the dishes away. "Naminé snagged herself a good one. I, however, think I got a good one too. I'm just hoping Riku is still awake. I can't believe he managed to make it to dinner!"

"Are you really gushing over your man for showing up to dinner?" Kairi raised a brow at her roommate, drying her hands.

"It might not mean something to you, Kairi, but it means a lot to me. Maybe when you get a boyfriend who's got a lot to do, you'll realize the moments where he's actually putting effort into the relationship."

Sora watched the girls converse, quietly cleaning the stove-top.

"That's entirely dependent on when Naminé introduces me to the rest of Roxas's family!" Kairi said as she leaned on Xion for support.

"Hopefully that happens soon then." Xion yawned, leaving Kairi and Sora to finish cleaning. "I'm heading to my room now. Good night, you two!"

A silence fell over the kitchen when Xion left. Kairi looked around the room, looking for something to do. When she found nothing, she walked over to Sora and put her hand on his, stopping him from cleaning. He jumped under her touch. "Hey, do you need any help?"

"I-I'm fine," Sora stuttered, reclaiming his hand. "You can go to bed." _And dream about dating a married man_, Sora thought bitterly.

He shouldn't have been mad about it. After all, they were friends and he had no reason to be jealous. Why, then, did it anger him to the core when she talked about another guy?

"What's wrong?" she asked. Sora's eyes widened at the question. Had he said that out loud? "Sora, I can tell when something's bothering you. At least, I'd like to think I've gotten to know you over the past couple months."

He sighed, washing the cloth in the sink. "Kairi, it's nothing. I'm just… tired, I guess."

He felt a pull on his shoulder, turning him around. He blushed when she moved her face close to his. "I don't believe you. Tell me what's wrong."

The room temperature spiked to insufferable levels. "Kairi, you're really close…"

"Is it bothering you? Good, because I'm not moving until you tell me." Kairi held her ground, making Sora look to both sides nervously. She practically had him pinned with her arms blocking both escapes.

He had to concede. "What's the big deal about Roxas anyway?" he grumbled, making sure to avoid eye contact with Kairi.

"Oh my gosh." The short silence that followed made Sora more ashamed. "You're jealous! You're jealous, aren't you?"

"No!" The denial came out louder than he intended. "I just don't see what's so good about his looks!"

"Well I'm glad to hear that!" Kairi laughed. "He's just… hot. That's it, Sora. You don't need to worry or anything. I'm not about to turn into a home wrecker."

Sora was flustered. "I wasn't worried about that!" He turned around, his posture stiff.

"Then what were you worried about?" she asked. Sora could just about hear the smile in her words. He stubbornly kept his back turned despite Kairi's efforts to turn him around.

In truth, he didn't know what he was worried about either. If anything, he wasn't _worried_ at all. It was jealousy, finding its way into Sora's head. He knew why he was jealous too: he did _not_ like the thought of Kairi dating a guy. It wasn't that he would rather be dating her; instead, some guy coming along would get between them. He liked being friends with Kairi. With Xion and Riku either putting time to each other or working, he and Kairi quickly became friends. If Kairi liked a guy, he'd almost certainly be the third wheel— no, the _spare tire_, the lonely one, the one without a pair. That was it. He just didn't want another guy to get Kairi.

The more he thought about it, the more it sounded like an excuse.

"I'm just worried that you'll find a guy and then I'll be that annoying friend that gets in the way of relationships. I'm Riku's best friend, but I know when I need to hang back so he can be with Xion. You're my best friend too, and I just don't want to lose that," he said. The words that left his mouth made him feel like his mouth was full of sand. Why? It wasn't like he was telling a complete lie.

"I'm your best friend?" Kairi asked. The question surprised Sora from his stupor. He turned around to see Kairi smiling widely at him.

"Uh, yeah?" Sora's brow twitched. "Didn't you know that?"

"You've never said it out loud before." Kairi folded her hands behind her back before lunging at Sora and embracing him in a tight hug. "Thanks, Sora. That actually means a lot to me."

Sora blushed at the contact, but slowly placed his arms around Kairi and hugged her back.

It felt nice to give her a real hug.

"If saying what I think about you makes you this happy, maybe I'll say it all the time." He joked.

Kairi lightly pushed away from him, meeting his eyes with her own. "You should. I'd like to hear what you think of me." She quickly added, "Because you're my best friend, of course. Your opinion matters."

Sora crossed his arms. "Oh? I'm _your_ best friend now too?"

Kairi laughed, mimicking Sora's earlier actions. "Uh, yeah? Didn't you know that?"

The brunet shook his head. He didn't even realize that he'd been smiling the whole time. "Here comes the abuse."

"Name two best friends where one person sees the other as just a normal friend and one sees the other as the best." Kairi followed Sora out of the kitchen. Dropping into a place next to him, she leaned forward, waiting for him to answer. "Exactly. Best friends regard each other as best friends. So naturally, it'd follow that you're my best friend too."

"So you're only saying I'm your best friend because I said you were mine?" Sora's initial reaction was to immediately clarify the way his words sounded, but he shut his mouth instead. Maybe she wouldn't notice.

"No. But I wasn't about to go and tell you that I regarded you as my best friend ever in the whole wide world until I knew that you didn't secretly hate me." She propped her arm on the backrest of the couch, holding her head up as her eyes shone with mirth.

Sora stared back, mirroring her actions. "Maybe I still secretly hate you. Oops, did I say _still_?" A shove from Kairi only made him laugh.

"Someone who secretly hates me would encourage me to go after a married man so I not only destroy my reputation, but a marriage as well. You hardly fit that profile." She turned, pressing her back to the couch and leaning her head on Sora's shoulder.

They sat still.. "Do you really think Roxas is that good-looking?" Sora asked slowly.

"Yeah, but I also think a lot of movie stars are good looking. I think Riku's cute. You're easy on the eyes too." While she laughed, Sora only blushed. "But I probably won't date a movie star. I don't go after married men, and I love Riku like a brother. Plus, he's sort of dating my friend, so that has something to do with it."

Sora chuckled. "I can imagine."

"Plus," Kairi continued quietly, "Only one good-looking guy I mentioned is single." Sora had never processed words so fast in his life, but Kairi was faster. She quickly changed the subject, standing up and combing through her hair with her hands. "Why don't we do something tonight? Riku and Xion had their own movie night, but I feel like going out. Up for a few drinks? I can probably get us our first ones on the house."

"You're going to your workplace on a day off? Not only a day off, but a night off that starts the weekend?" Sora stretched, hauling himself up.

"I like it there. Plus, it's down the road. We don't even have to drive, which is probably better for everyone." Kairi pushed aside the blinds to peer outside. The trees outside swayed in a light breeze. "It'll be a nice walk too."

Sora immediately noticed it was suddenly a different experience to look at Kairi. He gulped when she turned around to look at him, meeting his eyes and waiting for a response. "Y-Yeah. Let's go for it!"

"Awesome!" Kairi happily pressed her hands together in a single clap. She walked past Sora and into the hallway. "The person who makes the other wait is paying for the second round!"

Sora quickly snapped out of his daze. "Wait a second, that's not fair!" He ran into the hallway, only to watch Kairi close his door. She stared back at him like she had just been caught stealing. "Did you just lock my door?"

"I want my free margarita!" She squeaked before running into her room. Sora ran over to his room, only to confirm that Kairi indeed locked his door.

"Ugh! Kairi! You're gonna pay for that!" He tried to open Kairi's door, but found hers locked as well.

"At this rate, you'll be the one paying!" she yelled through her own door with a maniacal laugh. Sora immediately got to work at picking his lock, retrieving the pick from the bathroom.

This girl was going to drive him mad.

* * *

><p><strong>Redeeming Endeavor<strong>: I'd like to thank **Haleybird, Revenge of the Red Pen, DestinyKeyblader28, elspoek1, 003keyblader, gr8azngrl**, **Twisting Beliefs, Lupus7, 0Wishful-Thoughts0, Aaralynne, **and **ShadowSpooky** for reviewing. Also thanks to anyone who alerted or favorited this.

Take care, and I'll see you around!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Sora slowly opened his eyes, unable to tell whether he was actually seeing something or not. The room was dark, and the blurry figures he could make out were not familiar. He groaned, a pounding headache settling between his ears. He buried his face into his pillow, hoping to alleviate the pain somehow.

It took a few seconds before Sora realized that there was something different about his bed. He never remembered it being this comfortable; then again, he had never fallen asleep on it while drunk. His pillow also smelled different. It strongly resembled the scent of Kairi's shampoo, something he could only recognize because he had tried it— out of necessity— on one occasion. Two bottles of conditioner, after all, was no substitute for shampoo. Besides, the strawberry-smelling formula made his hair feel softer.

But if he only used it once, then why was the smell so prevalent?

He opened his eyes again, taking a look around. The closet was closed, and in the corner between the dresser and the wall sat a giant white teddy bear. Sora knew for a fact that he didn't have a giant white teddy bear in his room. He closed his eyes, feeling sure that he didn't drag it home last night either.

But wait.

Sora snapped his eyes open. Kairi had a giant white teddy bear in her room. It would follow that pillows that smelled like Kairi would also be in her room. Rubbing his eyes, Sora turned to his right and froze.

Kairi stirred beside him, waking from sleep. Her eyes opened slowly, finding Sora's face in the dark room. He stared back at her, praying that she'd fall back asleep and give him time to get out of the room.

"Oh. Oh my gosh." Kairi blinked, her eyes trained on Sora. "You're really here, aren't you?"

Sora contemplated his options. He could lie and say that she was dreaming. He could also sit there silently and hope that she'd fall asleep, a possibility that seemed to dwindle with each second. So he spoke. "Uh, yeah."

Kairi closed her eyes, groaning as she stretched. Sora remained still, propped on his elbows. Kairi, through the hands that covered her face, eyed Sora with an indecipherable look. "What happened to your clothes?"

Sora looked down to indeed find himself shirtless. He quickly lifted the blanket and sighed in relief when he saw his boxers were still on. "I don't remember. My underwear is still on though. Did we...?"

"My clothes are still on." Kairi laughed, rubbing her head. "I have no idea what _you_ did or why your clothes are gone." Sora smiled, slightly entertained by their situation. He never would have guessed that he'd wake up in Kairi's bed, clothes nowhere to be found. With a hangover, of course.

He allowed himself to fall back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. Kairi was quiet, her arm resting over her face.

"Hey Kairi," Sora said, "do you remember what happened last night?"

Kairi cleared her throat, closing her eyes as she thought. "We went out last night. We both got really drunk. I think we walked home. I don't remember much else. What about you?"

"I distinctly remember you ripping my clothes off last night." Sora managed to keep a straight face, but crumbled under Kairi's glare. "Fine. To be honest, I don't remember any more than you do."

"This is all your fault." Kairi pressed her head into her pillow, turning away from Sora in embarrassment. "I am never drinking with you again."

"Oh come on! It's funny. You've never been drunk before!" Sora laughed, propping his head on his hand. "You must have been wrecked!"

"Not wrecked enough to end up naked in someone else's bed," she shot back.

Sora's smile faded. "Hey! Don't act like you aren't enjoying this. This is the best morning you've had in a while."

"Yeah, I wish I woke up with a pounding headache every morning." Kairi turned to look at the light that outlined her window and quickly looked away. "The hypersensitivity to the slightest amount of light is nice too."

This wasn't the first time Sora woke up with a hangover, but it was for Kairi. As an experienced expert, he felt inclined to help her despite the own pain in his head. "Hey, do you want me to get you some painkillers?"

"Will it help? I don't think I can sit up without feeling like tipping over." Kairi tried to sit up, her hands flying to her head as she gasped in pain. "Ugh, bad idea."

"Wait here. I'll be back in a sec." Sora quickly hopped out of Kairi's bed and walked to the kitchen, opening the designated medicine cabinet Riku and Xion insisted on having. With a full glass of water and bottle of painkillers in hand, Sora quickly made his way to Kairi's room, finding her sitting up against the headboard. She still wore the clothes from last night, only this time they were a little more wrinkled.

"If you weren't doing this for me right now, I'd probably hate you," Kairi mumbled as she took the glass of water from him. "I don't like our little tradition anymore."

"We've only gone three times so far. This is the first of which we came back schwasted." Sora laughed, taking the glass from Kairi and taking a long gulp of the water. "What I want to know is how I ended up like this-" He motioned toward himself- "and in your bed."

"I guess what they say is true." Kairi squeezed her eyes shut.

"What do they say?"

"That the true side of someone reveals itself when someone's drunk. Without a sober mind and inhibitions, you really get to see what someone is like." Kairi smirked, opening one eye to look at Sora. "Guess that makes you a pervert on the inside."

Sora laughed, quieting slightly when Kairi flinched at the sound. He apologized quickly, continuing only when she nodded. "You're joking. That's a good sign." Kairi returned his smile, running a hand through her messy hair. "And if what they say about drunk people is true, then I guess that means you like me. Otherwise I would have ended up either in my own room or on the floor."

"I was inebriated and unable to fight back."

"I was inebriated and got naked." Sora smiled widely. "Maybe that's why you couldn't fight back."

"Don't be ridiculous." Kairi giggled quietly. "You're the one that's falling for me, easily proved by the fact that you slept here."

"This argument goes both ways you know. Only, I'm more likely to be correct since you could have easily kicked my groin, even if you were drunk."

"That'd be viable if I could find it," Kairi said with a pained yet smug smile. Sora gaped. She just insulted his manhood and smiled about it.

She _smiled_ about it.

"That was low, Kairi." He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. He had to think of something fast.

"Below the belt?"

"With the force of a sledgehammer. That was mean."

She shrugged, letting out a low whistle. "You actually set yourself up for that one."

"I guess I sorta did." Finding no way to top her insult, he just shook his head. Again, they fell quiet. Sora didn't realize how calm both of them were about the whole mess. Seeking answers, he asked Kairi, "How are you not weirded out by any of this?"

"I dunno." Kairi shrugged. The two shared a laugh at their own expense. "Maybe it's because I trust you. The fact that my clothes are still on is also reassuring. As far as I know, the only things I regret is getting drunk enough to wake up with a blurry recollection and a killer headache. And I guess the amount that will be taken out of my paycheck as well."

"Oh?" Sora shifted, leaning closer to Kairi's face. "So waking up with me in your bed isn't anywhere on that list?"

Kairi rolled her eyes at Sora, who grinned like a fool. "A little weird, but I guess not. I'll just pretend we had a sleepover." Pressing her fingers to the side of her head, Kairi massaged her temples in an effort to rid herself of the ache.

Sora lightly rubbed Kairi's forehead with his thumb. "It'll go away." He stared at her for a while. Her hair was a mess, her eyes were half-lidded as if she was under sedation, and the make-up from the previous night was smeared around her eyes.

And yet, she was still stunning.

"Sora?"

Sora blinked, focusing on Kairi's gaze. "Huh?"

"I said I think you should put some clothes on. I know we're best friends and all, but I don't think it's normal practice to converse like this."

"Oh." Sora blushed profusely. "Right. I'll get on that." Sora entered his room across the hallway. His clothes from last night were strewn all over his bed. In addition, a small camcorder with a note attached sat in the center. Sora quickly picked it up.

"Sora, I'm gonna shower." Sora turned at the sound of Kairi's quiet voice.

"All right. Call if you need any help."

"I think I can handle myself in the shower. I'm a big girl… pervert." Kairi stuck her tongue out at him.

"You know that's not what I meant." He watched her walk away before returning to the camcorder. He read the note aloud. "You two are awful when you're drunk. Get your shit together. Smiley face." Sora shook his head at the note Xion and Riku left him. He turned on the camcorder, playing the last video recorded.

Sora covered his face in embarrassment as he watched his drunk self being taped. No way in _hell_ did drunkenness show the true side of a person. If anything, it made people do the very things they would never do had they been sober.

"Oh. So that's how I lost my clothes," Sora commented quietly, sitting on the edge of his bed. He continued watching, sometimes laughing, sometimes cringing. Xion's occasionally made a funny comment as Riku tried to assist his drunk friends. "And I guess that's how I ended up in Kairi's bed…" He turned off the video, letting out a low whistle.

He must have drunk a _lot_ last night. Maybe the weekend bar tradition was an awful idea after all.

He sat in his room, digesting the scenes that he just saw. No doubt, Riku and Xion would be using this as blackmail, leverage for a later time. He contemplated deleting this video, but Riku would have been smarter than that. The only thing Sora could do now was pray that this little mishap would be forgotten. He did say a lot of stupid things last night.

Sora now thought that waking up with a broken recollection was a blessing. Perhaps it was true: some things are better left forgotten. Some things— like the things Sora said last night— are better left unsaid as well.

* * *

><p><strong>Redeeming Endeavor<strong>: Special thanks to **elspoek1, 003keyblader, DestinyKeyblader28, Lupus7, ClassicCartoon27, Shire Folk, gr8azngrl, Unnamed, Gumi Harue, GreyPurpleBlack, easterlily16, ShadowSpooky, 0Wishful-Thoughts0, **and** Twisting Beliefs.** You guys are awesome. Also on the awesome list: those of you who favorited and alerted either ATH or RE. Thanks!

Take care, everyone. I'll see you around!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Riku stirred at the sound of Xion calling his name. Why was she calling him? Didn't matter. Where was his pillow?

He opened his eyes, the light of the TV revealing the Winnie the Pooh characters on his pillow case. Satisfied, Riku hugged his pillow tighter and returned to sleep.

"Riku!" It was louder this time. Lifting his head, Riku's half-closed eyes made out Xion's figure at the bedroom door.

"Was it?" He slurred, inhaling deeply as he tried to wake up.

Xion giggled. "What is it? Our roommates just got home. I think they might need assistance."

Riku buried his face in his pillow. "Make Sora sleep on the couch and take Kairi to her room." Staying up late and partying was Sora and Kairi's decision, not his. Why should he pay for it?

"Riku, I'm serious. Get your ass out of bed!" Xion bounced onto the bed, shaking Riku awake.

Growling, Riku effortlessly tossed both Xion and the blanket off, the former of which giggling madly. "Fine. I'll be out in a bit."

"Good! I'll get the camera. Sora's a little… _drunk_." Xion skipped out of the room, leaving Riku to put some more clothes on.

Wiping his face, Riku sat on the edge of his bed, wondering why he was cleaning up after Sora again. He supposed he was paying a debt now. Many a college morning did Riku find himself on the floor of Sora's dormitory room floor with a hangover. That didn't really stop until Riku turned twenty-one and the novelty of alcohol was lost.

He changed, wiping his eyes as he left his room. As everyone came into view, he quickly assessed the situation.

Xion leaned against the wall, smiling and recording everything going on. Kairi was flat on her back on the couch, her legs dangling over the armrests. She seemed to be laughing at something. Sora was face down on the floor, panting.

Could have been worse.

"Okay, what happened?" Riku sighed as he spoke. He rubbed his chin as he waited for an answer.

"Riku, is that you?" Sora asked. He never lifted his face from the floor.

Riku covered his face with his hand, embarrassed for both of them. "Yeah, it's me." He walked over to his best friend, pulling him to his feet. Sora laughed as his head lolled back.

"Haha! Kairi, where are you?"

"Here!" Kairi raised a hand.

If Riku wasn't holding Sora up, his palm would have met his face by now. "What the hell is she laughing about?"

His girlfriend shrugged, a smile tugging the corners of her lips. "I have no idea. She came in like that."

"Riku. Riku man, have I got something to show you. Riku—"

"_What,_ Sora?" Riku was getting a little testy. Perhaps he'd find this funny if it didn't interrupt his slumber.

"C'mere. Look what I got." Sora pushed off Riku and walked to the door, taking a few seconds to turn the knob. "Look! I brought something to decorate the apartment with!"

_Oh no_, Riku thought. _Did Sora bring home a dead raccoon again?_

He peered outside the door, praying that he wouldn't have to deal with anything unsanitary.

"It's a sign from that ice cream store down the street!" Sora said in drunken pride. "I thought it'd look good in our living room. Wouldn't it, Riku? Wouldn't it?"

"Help me," Riku muttered under his breath. A large, foldable sign rested against the wall just outside their door. Riku looked at the ground. A pile of sand, about half a foot high, sat on their doormat. "What the hell?"

"Oh. That was in the sign," Sora said matter-of-factly. "I figured that if we were bringing it inside, you wouldn't want sand on the carpet. Smart, right?"

"No." He would deal with that later, _before_ anyone was charged with theft. He pulled Sora back inside, shutting the door.

Riku didn't take note of Sora's eyes until he was brought back into the light of the living room. He paused, staring intently at Sora.

"Riku? Riku… I think your eyes are stuck," Sora whispered. Kairi wheezed with laughter from the couch.

"Xion, come take a look at this." Riku beckoned.

The smile fell from Xion's face as she looked at Sora's eyes. "They're dilated."

"Yup." Riku placed his hands over Sora's eyes, shielding them from the light. He did it repeatedly until he was sure. "Kairi, where did you guys go?"

"Oh, we just had a couple drinks, officer!" Kairi laughed from the couch.

"Where?" Riku wasn't feeling patient at all. Maybe a drunk Kairi still had some valuable information.

"The bar. But then we went to that new club downtown. The one with lasers? Pew pew!" Kairi poked at the air with her fingers, laughing at her own description.

Xion snickered.

"Were you with Sora the whole time?" Riku asked.

"Of course she was!" Sora laughed. Riku just realized he was on the floor again. "Even after she punched that chick."

Riku's eyes bulged. "What? She punched someone?" This was more than he bargained for. First Sora with the theft, now Kairi with the assault and battery.

He needed to get new friends.

"Bitch deserved it. She was all over Sora like white on rice. Oh my gosh!" Kairi shuddered as she tried to hold her laughter in. "I promise that has nothing to do with the fact that she was Asian."

At that moment, Riku wanted nothing more than crawl back into bed and go back to sleep.

Fighting through her giggle fits, Xion trained the camcorder on Kairi and asked, "Did she give anything to Sora? Like a drink, perhaps?"

"She gave me a fruity one. I told her I wasn't a girl, but she said it was okay." Sora laughed. "That's because she put Z's in it."

"Not Z's!" Kairi laughed. She crossed her arms over her head, making a letter's shape. "It was X. _Ex._"

"Exxxx..." Sora hissed back at Kairi. "Like ex-boyfriend."

"Like ex-girlfriend." Kairi turned over on the couch, narrowing her eyes at Sora.

"Like _sex_."

"Okay, we get it," Riku interrupted. He didn't find this nearly as entertaining as Xion did. "Why are you laughing? Sora got drugged and Kairi's drunk. Sora brought home—_stole_— an ice cream sign, and there's half a foot of sand outside our front door. How is any of this funny?"

"I'm sorry. I can't keep it together. I just never expected it from them!"

"Riku." Sora suddenly sounded serious. "It's okay. There's no need to get angry."

In truth, Riku was seething; but his friends were drunk, so he sucked it up. "Just… let's get you two to your room."

"Thanks Riku." Sora tried to push himself up, but failed miserably. Ignoring the urge to spit on him and call him a bunch of pitiful names, Riku hauled his best friend to his feet. "Thanks Riku. You're awesome."

Riku slung Sora's arm over his shoulder. "Can you get Kairi, Xion?"

"Sure." Xion smiled, still recording everything. "C'mon Kairi. Mind my face."

"Bahaha!" Kairi cracked up at Xion's joke. "That's so clever!"

The sober couple slowly made their way to Sora's room, each of them burdened by a roommate. Riku put Sora on his bed, shrugging his drugged friend off. "Thanks Riku. You're the best friend anyone could ever have."

"Okay, Sora."

"No, really." Sora persisted. "You are such a great person. You are such, _such _a nice person, and you're beautiful on the outside _and _the inside."

Riku heard a thump behind him, turning around to find Xion bent at the waist and Kairi on the floor, laughing hard.

"Beautiful on the inside! I-is it true, Xion? Does Riku have sexy kidneys?" Kairi managed in between breaths.

Riku truly felt alone when Xion joined in the laughter. Behind him, Sora complained about the heat.

"I'm sorry, Riku. I'm trying, but this is just too funny!" Xion apologized profusely, putting the camcorder on top of Sora's dresser.

"It's… whatever. Just move out of the way. I'll get her." Riku sighed, bending down to pick Kairi up.

"It's so freaking hot in here!" Sora yelled from behind.

"Riku, I got it."

"Xion, really. Just let me do it."

"I'm on fire!"

Riku picked Kairi up, who was stuck in her perpetual laughing fit. His girlfriend stared back with mirthful eyes, a closed fist pressed over her lips to contain her laughter. "I am never doing this again."

"We won't have to. I'm getting this all down on tape." Xion pursed her lips. "You have to admit it though: we have some pretty crazy friends."

Riku smiled back at her. "They're lunatics." Before taking Kairi to her bed, he turned around to make sure Sora was still in his. "Sora, go to sl— oh what the_ f_—"

"Why is it so hot in here?" Sora groaned as he slid from his bed to the floor. Xion joined Kairi in another round of laughter.

Riku looked to the ceiling. "What did I do to deserve this?" He turned his eyes back to Sora, who was now sprawled on his floor, a pair of boxers away from donning his birthday suit. He did his best to ignore Sora and brought Kairi into her room, placing her in bed. He set the fan on the highest speed.

"Riku, you're so nice," Kairi said as she curled around a pillow. "And your pancreas is beautiful."

"Thanks. Now go to sleep, Kairi." Before Riku could finish, Sora dove onto Kairi's bed. If there was ever a moment that Riku wanted to kill his best friend, this trumped all of them. "Sora…"

"It's nice and cold in here!" the intoxicated boy yelled. "This bed is so comfortable." Sora proceeded to rub his whole body on Kairi's bed, much to the entertainment of Xion. She stood at the doorway, trying her best to stay quiet as she recorded. "Nice and cold. It smells like strawberries too."

Riku stared open mouthed at his girlfriend. "You couldn't have kept him in his room or anything?"

"Aww, just look at him though! He was a little overheated." Xion looked at Riku, hoping he'd buy the excuse.

"Kairi, it smells like strawberries. Is it you?" Sora threw himself over Kairi's body. "Ha. Got you!"

"No! I'm not a strawberry!" Kairi giggled, not even trying to pry Sora off.

Not believing a word Kairi said, Sora placed his lips at Kairi's collarbone and licked up her neck.

Riku gaped.

Xion squealed.

Kairi giggled.

Sora smacked his lips together. "Nope. Not a strawberry."

"Told you!" Kairi sang.

"But you taste good." Sora leaned in for more.

Seeing that Xion was making no effort to intervene, Riku acted. "Sora, bad! No!" It sounded like he was scolding a dog, but it was working. "Bad Sora. Bad."

Sora flinched back, much to Xion's disappointment. "Riku! Stop it!"

Ignoring his girlfriend, Riku addressed Sora. "If you're staying here, don't lay a finger on her. I'm serious."

"Unless she wants it," Xion added slyly.

"No!" Riku looked at her, appalled at her suggestion.

"Fine. Only when you both want it." Xion rephrased.

"Xion!" Before Riku could scold his girlfriend, she stopped him.

"Relax, Riku. Nothing's going to happen." She hugged her boyfriend tightly, discretely filming the couple in bed. "Sora will be fine in the morning. Let's go back to bed."

Riku knew she was right. And after dealing with his friends, bed sounded really good right about now.

"Fine. But you're cleaning up the front _and_ taking that sign back in the morning."

"Done."

Lightly nudged by his girlfriend, Riku made his way out of the room. "I'm not waking up again."

"Heehee." Kairi laughed. "That tickles, Sora!"

"Is he licking her again?" Riku didn't have a chance to turn around before being shoved out of Kairi's room. Xion quickly closed the door.

"None of your business. Time for bed!"

* * *

><p><strong>Redeeming Endeavor:<strong> First thing's first: Ecstasy, or X, is a drug with similar effects to an amphetamine. Despite how funny you found Sora in this chapter, _please_ refrain from hunting for Ecstasy, or X, or XTC, or however you know it by. It's not very harmful in small doses (which is why the characters handled this calmly), but it's still an illegal drug in most countries and can be very dangerous.

I don't mean to sound like a parent, but that's a serious statement.

I'd like to thank individuals who continuously or recently have reviewed, and those who added ATH or RE to their alerts and favorites. Shoutouts to **elspoek1, Lupus7, ShadowSpooky, 003keyblader, Aaralynne, ClassicCartoon27, sam, DestinyKeyblader28, 0Wishful-Thoughts0, Shire Folk, Revenge of the Red Pen, Dragginninja, Zoe the Hunter, Kingdom Hearts Otaku, **and **Haleybird**.

Take care, and I'll see you around!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Kairi loved watching Sora cook.

There was something sexy about a man— it didn't have to be Sora— who worked diligently in their line of work. Though Sora wasn't really working for pay at the moment, the fact that he looked so focused and concentrated for a simple dinner for everyone in the apartment was pretty attractive.

She noticed how he never seemed to stop moving, like he always had something to do. The counters and stove tops were covered with ingredients, pans, cutting boards, and knives, seemingly scattered randomly but arranged with an organization that made sense in the cook's head. Kairi laughed out loud when Sora moved back from the rising steam of the rice cooker.

It was only then that Sora noticed Kairi standing just outside the kitchen. "Kairi! What's so funny?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Nothing. Just watching you cook. I don't know how you deal with all this stuff at the same time," she said.

"I definitely got used to it over the years." Sora chuckled, wiping his hands on his apron. "Would you like to help me? I haven't started dicing the vegetables for the fried rice yet, so I could use an extra hand."

Getting over her initial shock, Kairi blinked before stepping into the kitchen. "Oh, you're serious? You actually need help?"

"Depends." Sora pulled a knife from the drawer, tossing it in the air and deftly catching it by the handle. "Can I trust you with a knife?"

"Your question should be 'can I trust you in the kitchen.' I might ruin the fried rice," Kairi said as she ran her hands through her hair. "Will I need to put my hair up?"

"Nah, you're fine." Sora waved off as he took vegetables out from the refrigerator. "Besides, I like it better down."

The compliment made Kairi go red in the face. "Thanks," she said quietly. She moved aside as Sora placed an assortment of vegetables on an empty surface of the countertop.

He placed a wooden cutting board down and handed Kairi the knife. "You can go ahead and start chopping those up. I'm going to scramble some eggs and start on some chicken."

Kairi stared down at the blade as nervousness bubbled inside her. She had actually never diced anything in her life before. Looking at the ingredients— an onion, carrots, ginger, and garlic— she had a feeling she would fail this epically.

Unfortunately, pride kept Kairi from telling Sora that she had no idea what to do. Would he judge her if he saw how terrible she was at cooking? Probably. Nobody would want a wife who couldn't cook.

Kairi froze as heat rushed to her face. That was weird.

She shook her head and stared down at the vegetables she had yet to touch. Ever since that night, her mind had taken upon itself to fantasize just about every possible thing she and Sora could do when they were alone. The reason?

Kairi wasn't as drunk as she thought.

But how could she have known that? She had never been drunk ever before! Wasn't she supposed to forget everything in the morning? That was her whole thought process the night she and Sora went out; however impaired she might have been, she genuinely thought that the morning would only bring a headache, that it would provide a nice shroud over the memory of events she would not have done had she been completely sober.

But it didn't work like that. She did drink a lot that night, just not enough to forget. The headache was intense, but the memories were strong. Kairi figured she finally understood what it meant to be "buzzed." Loosened up just enough to do something stupid and crazy, but not drunk enough to have no recollection of the previous night.

So of course, Kairi remembered everything. She remembered punching that _slut_ who was all over Sora, she remembered hailing a cab to take them back to the bar, and she remembered laughing very hard when Sora threw up on his own car.

Just as clearly, she remembered how they clamored into their apartment and being unable to help Sora get up, how Sora complimented Riku's insides, how Xion filming— wait a second! Where was that thing anyway? If the contents of that video got out, Kairi officially had incriminating evidence against her. If Sora saw any of that… if he saw… any…

A single thought ran through her mind: _FFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUU—_

"Kairi, is something wrong?" Sora's voice tore Kairi from her thoughts. She whipped her head in his direction a little too quickly, surely looking distressed.

"No! No, everything's just fine. Just thinking, that's all. Yup." The words came out quick and jumbled. Kairi had to recover. "I'm going to wash my hands."

"O-okay…" Sora gave Kairi a skeptical look before returning to his work.

Kairi sighed; she had to start chopping. Sora needed his ingredients.

As soon as Kairi thought of his name, her imagination and memory teamed up on her again. She had managed to convince Sora that she remembered little of their drunken adventure. Sora jumped into bed with her that night, and that only happened because he was drugged, then licked her neck soon after. Shivers ran up her spine at the memory—and what occurred after.

What horrified her was that she enjoyed it a little too much. The realization didn't hit until the shower that followed in the morning. That was a clear violation of personal space, even decency. Had anyone else done that to her while she was buzzed, she would have reacted violently. Had Sora done that while they were both sober, she would have… would have…

Well, she would have done _something._

_Yeah, take advantage of him._ Kairi heard her own voice in her head. _Like you did that night._

"I didn't—" Kairi, realizing she was speaking out loud (to herself, no less), quickly shut her mouth.

Unfortunately, Sora heard her. "You didn't what?"

Again, she needed something fast. She looked at the vegetables on the counter. _Think think think!_

"I didn't… know that onions were so hard to peel!" she picked up the onion and juggled it in her hand. "I can't tell when I've peeled it enough or not!"

Sora stared back at Kairi like she grew another head. "Ha… yeah… I guess they are hard to… peel."

Great. Now Sora thought she was a lunatic.

Kairi, thoroughly embarrassed for making a fool out of herself, returned her attention to the cutting board. The voice inside her head— surely her conscience— was right. She did take advantage of Sora that night.

She swore she wouldn't have done that if she weren't under the influence of alcohol. In fact, she probably would have kicked Sora out of her room before going to sleep.

Instead, she was drunk, so she allowed him to stay. Not only that, but she also enjoyed him being there. And Sora couldn't do anything about it. In his state, he would have been fine with any girl. But the girl at that moment was Kairi, and she enjoyed it so much that she took advantage of the situation and kissed him.

More than once.

What scared Kairi the most was that she didn't regret any of it. She wouldn't take any of it back. Nothing.

That's right. In her inebriated state, Kairi took advantage of a drugged young man and pretty much used him for her physical needs. She remembered every kiss, every touch, and every breath from that night.

It made her wonder: if things got too far (like they hadn't already), would she have regretted it?

Kairi almost groaned at the thought. She knew she should feel guilty about it. Why was she so fine with what she had done? She wanted it to bother her. If it bothered her, then she'd feel normal. Instead, she felt like a bad person. Only bad people took advantage of others and found themselves unbothered by it all. Only mean people enjoyed it too.

Maybe that was it: she was just a bad person. It had to be.

She snuck a glance at Sora only to find him staring directly at her. Heat stirred within her as his eyes bore into hers.

Oh no. He knew what she was thinking. Did she say it all out loud?

"Oh. I see." A smirk formed on Sora's face. Kairi just about died at the sight of it.

One: She felt the burn from the hotness of that look. That was sexier than that married hottie across the hallway.

Two: Holy crap, he really did know what she was thinking!

"I-It's not like that!" Kairi nervously took a step back. She stopped moving completely— like a deer caught in the headlights— when Sora approached her.

"You don't have to be ashamed of it. In fact, you should have just told me sooner."

"I d-didn't want you to think any less of me," Kairi said shakily.

Sora laughed. "Kairi, I'm not that mean! If anything, I think it's kinda cute." The room temperature spiked by what felt like a million degrees. Kairi felt the heat rush to her face. Why did he have to find out this way? She squeezed her eyes shut as Sora placed his hand on hers. "You have no idea how to properly dice vegetables, do you?"

Wait, what? "H-huh?" Kairi opened her eyes, staring at him in bewilderment.

"You've been standing here for almost ten minutes staring at the vegetables like you have no idea what to do with them. Here…"

The next thing Kairi knew, she was facing the cutting board with her back flush against Sora's chest. A million different questions flew through her mind in that instant. What the heck was going on? Weren't they just talking about vegetables?

When did her fantasy suddenly become a reality?

"W-What are you—"

"My mother taught me how to do this correctly by running through the motions." Sora's soft voice was so close to Kairi's ears that she could feel his warm breath as he spoke. He placed his hands over hers, taking control of her body. "You hold it like this, and let the knife do the work…"

Never had she felt so helpless in her life. Sora's touch was an overload on her senses. His words turned into the soft sounds of that fateful night, and his touch only made Kairi remember the way he held her, how he touched her.

"Here, let's do the onion now. Place the palm of your hand on the top of the knife and push down…"

She gulped, almost whining from the heat she felt. Her heart threatened to leap from her chest. Her knees went weak and she could feel her weight leaning on Sora for support.

It was too much. She couldn't handle any more of this. It was almost as if a part of her mind left her; instinct took control. She watched herself free her hands from his grasp. She turned herself around so that she was facing him, pinned between the counter and his body. She stared up at him, her vision hazing everything but his face.

Kairi was consumed with lust. She had to have him. _Now._

"Kairi…?"

At the sound of Sora's concerned voice, Kairi's more conservative thoughts whirred to life and brought Kairi back to her normal self.

A guilt that Kairi had never felt before hit her like a tidal wave.

"Sora, I'm… I'm so sorry." Kairi struggled to say the words. "I need to…" she didn't finish her sentence as she pushed him away. Without turning back, she ran into her room and closed the door behind her.

She immediately slid to the floor, her hand flying over her mouth as she tried to calm her breathing. Tears of embarrassment threatened to slip from her eyes.

When did she start feeling something for Sora?

* * *

><p><strong>Redeeming Endeavor: <strong>Extra thanks to **Burai Stelar, 003keyblader, Lupus7, DestinyKeyblader28, 0Wishful-Thoughts0, Haleybird, ShadowSpooky, Revenge of the Red Pen, easterlily16, Aaralynne, Zoe the Hunter, CapriciousXXIISerenader, elspoek1, ClassicCartoon27, Gumi Harue, happy reader, Angelgirl18647, NobodyLights, Twisting Beliefs, Noobster, TalesOfStuff, **and** KH FF FTW acronyms.**

Take care, and I'll see you around!


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Sora wasn't dumb.

At least, that was what he liked to think. He figured that if he didn't notice the sudden change in Kairi's behavior, then he would be dumb. And boy did he notice. It's kind of hard to miss the way a girl retreats back into her room after making eye contact. It's also hard to ignore when this person is one of your best friends, and she makes every effort to avoid contact and interaction.

But what had Sora doubting his intelligence revolved around the very same thing. Sure, he noticed Kairi was avoiding him; the problem was that he didn't understand _why_. Ever since she helped him with dinner that day— and looked at him weirdly— he really hadn't found much time to talk to her in the past three weeks.

So today, Sora decided he was going to get to the bottom of it all.

The young cook exited his bedroom, striding resolutely into the living room. He sat on the couch, waiting for his chance.

Today, Kairi had left early in the morning for a job interview. Given that she wasn't going to do anything else, she should be arriving soon enough. Sora hoped to speak to Kairi as soon as she came in. She wouldn't ignore him if he forced her to talk to him. At least, that was what he thought. He wouldn't block her path to her room, but if she chose to walk right by him, then he'd know for sure that he did something wrong.

So he waited.

And waited.

And waited.

* * *

><p>"Hey. Hey Sora!"<p>

"Wh… what?" Sora felt himself shaking. He opened his eyes, finding his best friend standing over him. "What are you doing here?"

"I kinda live here," Riku said smartly before walking to the kitchen. "Why are you sleeping on the couch? Your room is down the hall. Nap there."

"I was waiting for Kairi to get home. Did she come in already?" Sora wiped the sleep from his eyes, stretching himself on the couch.

"Beats me. What time did she leave?"

"Around nine this morning."

"Well it's four now."

"What?" Sora shot up, looking for a clock to confirm. "No way, she only had a job interview…"

"Maybe she had something else." Riku placed his food in the microwave before turning to Sora. "Hey, are you okay? Why are you so intent on talking to Kairi?"

"Because she's been avoiding me for the past two weeks and I want to know why." The young man sighed as he dropped into the chair across from Riku.

"That seems pretty juvenile. I didn't know we were still in high school."

"Riku, don't be mean. I probably did something to make her want to dodge me. And if I did, I would totally respect her wishes and stay away, but I have to be sure."

"Do what you need to do to get your stuff straight." Riku shrugged. The medical school student opened his microwaved Tupperware, fanning away the steam that rose from his heated food.

I can't believe she hasn't come home yet. Her interview was at ten…" Sora placed his elbow on the table and propped his head on his hand. "Job interviews aren't that long, are they?"

"Maybe she had multiple."

"She doesn't."

Riku gave Sora a hard stare as he chewed his food. After swallowing, he pointed his fork at the young man and asked, "I'm sorry, but something's not adding up here. You say Kairi has been avoiding you for three weeks now. Three weeks. That's a long time." Riku lowered his fork and poked at his food once again. "What I don't understand is how you know Kairi's schedule today with such detail. For someone who hasn't spoken with Kairi extensively, you sure know a lot of her errands today."

"I heard her on the phone last week. She was excited and was talking pretty loudly, so I heard every word."

"Pfft. What'd you do, press your ear to her door and listen in?" Riku raised a brow, but the smile on his face soon dissipated. "Oh wow. You actually did that."

"I just wanted to see what she was excited about!" Sora defended.

"So you eavesdrop? Damn Sora. You got it bad."

"What the heck are you talking about? What's this 'it' that I have so bad... ly?" Sora shifted his head to the right in an effort to correct himself.

"How long?"

"How long what?" Sora asked impatiently. "How long have I wanted to talk to her? How long the longest spike on my head is? How long my—"

"How long have you wanted to get kinky with our roommate, Sora?" Riku bit his lip to keep from laughing at Sora's reddening face. "How long since you've fallen for that girl across the hallway?"

"Riku, stop jumping to conclusions!" Sora pressed his palms flat on the table, trying to remain calm. He failed miserably. "It's not like that at all."

"Really?" Riku ate nonchalantly, "Because it looks to me like you're making an effort to put yourself in her life. And why is that?"

"She's my best friend, Riku. I'm being serious." Sora was so sure of himself, and it showed. "Why do you have to automatically think that I like her romantically if I just want to talk to her again?"

"Jeez, my bad. You're right. I just assumed you liked her back."

"Well you're—" Sora stopped himself as he allowed himself time to comprehend what Riku said. "Wait, what?"

"I thought you liked her."

"No, that's not what you said!" Sora leaned forward. "You said something about—"

His words were interrupted when both young men turned around to see the door to their apartment fly open. Surprise was etched into both of their faces as Kairi practically bounced inside, a huge grin on her face. She closed the door, turning around to face her roommates. She grinned even wider before running over to them.

Sora quickly stood from the table. "Kairi, I—" he couldn't finish his sentence since Kairi threw her arms around him at the moment, squeezing the air out of him.

"I got a job! I got a job!" Kairi screamed excitedly in Sora's right ear. The poor boy flinched away, sure that it'd contribute to future deafness. "Sora, Riku, I got a _freaking job!_"

"You had one before, Kairi," Riku teased. Sora felt Kairi's warmth leaving him, a hint of emptiness left in the wake. Riku reciprocated the bone crushing hug. "But congratulations anyway."

"Thanks! And I'm talking about a job that actually has something to do with my degree, Riku!" Kairi released him and looked back and forth between the two males. "You guys have no idea how excited I am. This is my first journalism-related job that I'm getting paid for! I'll actually be writing stories again!"

"That's great, Kairi!" A huge smile spread across Sora's face.

She smiled back at him before her eyes widened. "Oh my gosh! I need to call my parents! My phone, where's my phone?" The redhead briskly walked from the kitchen and disappeared into the hallway that led to her bedroom. Riku and Sora shared a look between them.

"I thought she was avoiding you." Riku raised a skeptical brow.

"She was. Trust me, I'm more confused than you are." Sora scratched the back of his head. "I swear she was avoiding me for three weeks. That's the first hug I've received in a really long time."

"Aww, has poor Sora been— ow!" Riku rubbed the spot where Sora punched him. "Huh. Sexual frustration in the form of physical violence. You know, the classmates specializing in psychiatry—ha!"

The punch Sora threw was easily captured and reversed by his bigger— and probably stronger— best friend. Riku twisted Sora's arm behind his back and pinned him to the fridge.

"Ow! Let me go!"

"No thanks. Now I can tease you without you lashing out. Plus, this reminds me of old times." Despite his words, Riku released Sora anyway. "I'm just messing with you, Sora. There's no need to get violent."

"Well it's not funny! If anything you made me more confused than I already was!" Sora stomped off to his room without another word.

Why did Riku have to say it like that? Did he say "liked her _back_" on purpose? If that were true, then…

Then…

Sora took a deep breath in an effort to calm himself. According to Riku, Kairi liked him, more than a best friend typically did. But did he feel the same way?

As far as he thought, he didn't. Kairi was just a best friend to him, right? Besides, he couldn't start a relationship right now. He always told himself that he wouldn't date a potential wife until he felt confident that his career was in order.

Not saying that Kairi was a potential wife! She was his best friend. Yeah. His best friend. His reason for not dating Kairi was… _because_ she was his best friend! If things didn't work out, then he'd definitely lose her.

"Get yourself together, Sora!" He slapped his own cheeks as he paced his room. Stupid Riku and his stupid confusing statements made Sora feel stupid.

And Sora wasn't stupid!

Sora confidently exited his room and knocked on Kairi's door.

All confidence— and air— left his system as soon as she opened the door.

"Sora!" Kairi opened the door a little more and leaned against the edge of it. "What's up?"

Sora froze. He didn't exactly plan this out. Should he ask Kairi why she avoided him for the past three weeks, or should he let that go and cut his losses? Should he ask about her parents' reaction? Should he ask her if she really liked him the way Riku said she did?

"Sora?" Kairi's voice commanded his attention away from his own thoughts.

"Would you like to celebrate your hiring with me? My treat. Either cooking for you or taking you out to eat, doesn't really matter to me." Sora scratched the back of his head nervously. Why was his first reaction to _ask her out?_

Kairi smiled, tilting her head. "That's really nice of you, Sora. But I kinda have to go to the bar."

Sora's nose scrunched in puzzlement. "The bar?"

"Yeah. To get my hours lessened and adjusted."

"O-Oh…" Sora nodded slowly. "Yeah, I forgot about that… so you're gonna continue working there?"

"Definitely. My new position won't keep me busy all day every day. Plus, I'd like to start saving money."

"Yeah, of course!" Sora pressed his lips together. "So then maybe after you're done at the bar? I can prepare anything you want for when you get home, or I can wait for you to get back and stuff."

This time, Sora noticed the small twitch that almost stole Kairi's smile. She recovered quickly, shaking her head. "I'm uh… I'm actually going out with another friend. My new co-worker, actually. I'll be working closely with him for a while. We got along really well when we first met, and he suggested that we should talk a bit more so it's not totally awkward on my first day."

Sora felt his heart sink in his chest. Why did that disappoint him so much? "Oh!" He plastered a fake smile on his face. "That's cool too, I guess."

"Yeah…" Kairi tucked her hair behind her ears. "I have to get ready now. Thanks so much for offering though!"

"Yeah… congratulations!" Sora gave her one last smile before turning away. He walked back into his room, feeling immense disappointment.

Sora wasn't dumb, nor was he stupid.

But he couldn't help but feel that he had missed something entirely.

* * *

><p><strong> Redeeming Endeavor<strong>:I can't forget my special thanks to my reviewers! These people would be **Handwritten, ShadowSpooky, gamemaster001, Revenge of the Red Pen, DestinyKeyblader28, elspoek1, CapriciousXXIISerenader, 0Wishful-Thoughts0, 003keyblader, Nikolas Sur, BlackButterfly9, GrimJr.34, Spellbound a.k.a soragirl4ever, beckster411, Aaralynne, KeybladeMaster97 **and **Naivette!**

Take care, and I'll see you around!


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Roxas woke alone in bed.

A smile crept onto his face as he rolled onto his back. Once a week, Roxas was able to sleep in since he didn't have to go to work. So once a week, his wife was always the first to wake up.

Sundays were always different from the rest of his week and, despite the fact that a whole week of work would follow, he enjoyed these days of rests to the fullest extent. It was a bastion of sorts before his sixty to seventy hour work week.

The blond lightly slapped his cheeks to wake himself up and slowly crawled out of bed. Standing on his toes, Roxas stretched his arms above him and released a loud yawn. He clamored down the stairs of his apartment, attracted by the smell of brewing coffee.

Sitting in the living room was his wife, who was going through the ads that came with the day's newspaper. He smiled at the sight of her. She was dressed in an oversized t-shirt— surely one of his— that fell so low it covered her shorts, her hair was arranged in a messy bun, and her blue eyes scanned the paper behind the focus of a pair of glasses.

The first word to come to mind was _beautiful._ Then _gorgeous, stunning,_ and _captivating._ He stared at his wife in awe. Maybe he was still in the honeymoon phase of their marriage, but it didn't matter to him. All he knew was that she was his. Forever.

"Is there something wrong, Roxas?" Her voice practically sang its way into his head. He grinned widely.

"No. I'm just admiring my pretty wife. Normally she's the first thing I see when I wake up." Roxas walked over and wrapped his arms around her neck, breathing her scent in. "You weren't there."

"I wake up at the same time every day." Naminé smiled before kissing his cheek. "You're the one with the messed up routine."

"Well you should stay in bed for a while. At least until I wake up."

The coffeemaker loudly beeped from the kitchen, signaling that their coffee was finished. "I have things to do in the morning. I can't spend all my time waiting for you to finally wake up."

Roxas didn't accept that as an answer. So he followed his wife into the kitchen, and when she least expected it, he hugged her from behind. She took in a quick breath of surprise, but didn't say anything.

"You could have returned to bed then," he whispered in her ear. She smiled, continuing with whatever she was doing.

"You know I—" Naminé stopped, grabbing her husband's hands. They'd somehow made their way under her shirt. "Really, Roxas? Now? How is pouring a cup of coffee _remotely_ arousing?"

"It's not the act of pouring coffee, Nam. It's you."

"Well I'll be sure to look as ugly as possible in the morning from now on."

"Oh stop that." He grinned, feeling her shudder as he kissed her neck. "I had to wait almost a quarter century before I had you. The last four years were considerably hard since we waited 'til marriage."

"Calling it a quarter-century doesn't help your case. Besides, you had no chance until I met you."

"Mmhmm." Roxas took the insult in stride, his hands trailing higher along her body. "What about now?"

The doorbell rang, completely dismantling the atmosphere.

"Oh. That's Kairi." Naminé pushed Roxas's hands off her and walked to the door. She turned around to face her pouting husband. "Will you put a shirt on already? That's so indecent."

"They always interrupt when I'm about to get some," Roxas mumbled before jogging upstairs. Naminé rolled her eyes and opened the door.

"Kairi!"

"Hey Naminé! Here's your dozen." Naminé took the box of doughnuts from her neighbor. "Hope you enjoy. Sora said they're better when they're warm."

"I'll keep that in mind." Naminé thanked Kairi, but stopped her before she could leave. "Oh! Do you think you could come in for a second? I think Roxas has something for you."

"Sure." Kairi shrugged. Naminé closed the door behind her and called up to Roxas. To her relief, Roxas had listened and put some clothes on.

"Kairi! Naminé didn't tell me that you were coming over." Roxas greeted as he walked down the stairs. "But that's fine. I had something for you anyway."

"Oh. What is it?" Kairi asked, slightly disconcerted.

"You know how at dinner you said you were a bartender, but you said you had a degree in journalism?" Kairi nodded. "Well I didn't want to ask at the time— you know, it might have been rude actually, since you have a job and all and you might enjoy it, and it'd be really mean of us if we—"

"Roxas." Naminé smiled at her husband. Suddenly she was seeing the rambling boy she met all those years ago.

Roxas realized what he was doing and cleared his throat. "Right. So not to be rude or anything, but I sort of assumed you'd want a job in journalism." Roxas continued when he saw Kairi's eyes widen. "My brother's partner recently took a job somewhere else, and I told him that I knew someone who might be interested…"

"O-Oh! Yeah, I'm definitely interested!" Kairi nodded fervently when she realized what Roxas was implying.

He grinned. "Good! Here's his contact information. He works for the local paper, and they haven't let on that they're looking for someone, so just call him up, I guess."

Kairi stared at the manila envelope in her hand and smiled excitedly. "Oh my gosh, guys! Thank you so much!" She looked at her two neighbors and laughed. "I have no idea how I'll repay you! This is… this is awesome!"

"I'm just glad you didn't think we were being rude or anything." Naminé rubbed her arm.

"Oh no! Trust me; I've been looking for an opportunity like this the whole time. I… Thank you. Thank you so much! I'll call him right away!"

After Roxas relayed more information, Kairi had finally gone and left him alone with his wife again. He looked at her, noting how she stared at him. "What?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. The loser in you came out today."

Roxas groaned. "Sorry, I thought I was past that."

"Don't be." She pulled him in for a long kiss. "It was cute."

Roxas sighed into her kiss. "Does this mean…"

"Of course." Naminé giggled; she knew their positions had swapped once again. "But we have to be quick. Both the food and the coffee are best served warm."

* * *

><p>Three weeks, two phone calls, and one job interview later, Kairi was sitting at her new desk with a wide smile on her face.<p>

It felt good to say that she officially had a job in journalism. In fact, she considered herself lucky to even find a position in a changing profession such as hers. Sure, the pay was average, but she was in. Kairi was finally going to be able to do what she loved.

All the while, she found a convenient way to keep her mind off Sora. She learned in college that work was the best way to stay out of trouble. Not that Sora was trouble— he was anything but that— but Kairi thought she wasn't ready for a relationship. Spending time with Sora was only going to knock her off her career path. She had to fix herself first before she entered someone else's life. She wasn't going to bring any baggage.

Thanks to work, she had almost forgotten how she felt about Sora. Sure, when she went home every day, memories and desires would flood her system, but now she had a way to channel that energy _without_ violating another human being.

She looked up from her desk, spotting her mentor near the coffee machine. He seemed to be in a daze. Since she felt like she owed him something, Kairi walked over to him to check and see if he was alright.

"Hey, Ven," she greeted. "What are you thinking about?"

Her neighbor's older brother— and job interviewer— turned to her with a blank stare. "Kairi, don't you hate it when you're at home, making milkshakes, and a bunch of boys show up in your yard?" Kairi burst out into laughter, and Roxas's uncanny doppelgänger laughed along too. "I mean, there I was in the kitchen, and these guys are knocking on my window saying that my milkshakes are better than yours and all this nonsense."

Kairi slapped a hand over her mouth when she realized she was making a scene. "You idiot! I was worried about you!"

"You should be. I can't drink milkshakes safely anymore. Brings too many boys to my yard."

"Ven, please… stop…" Kairi's face had gone red. "Please, they'll fire me if I keep disturbing them."

"It's alright, Kairi. This is coffee." Ven smiled, leading Kairi away with a hand on her back. "Come on, let's get to our station and pretend we're working."

That about summed up Kairi's mentor, Ventus. Kairi was quick to notice that her partner was very similar to Sora in a way: he was motivated by a desire to make others smile and laugh, and the charm was evident as well.

After Kairi settled back in her seat, she held up a few papers and leaned closer to Ven. "All jokes aside, Ven, are you seriously okay?"

"I guess. I went to the gym the other day, so I'm kinda sore. On the other hand, one of the gym trainers was pretty hot. He had the most beautiful eyes—"

"Wait, he?"

"Yes. He had to be the most attractive guy there. Tall, dark and handsome."

Kairi shook her head. She knew what this was about. "Every time you pretend you're gay it has to do with that lawyer lady. Did you see her again?"

Ventus looked at Kairi in defeat. "Yes." He sighed. "She came to get coffee the same time I did."

"You should just talk to her, Ven! You never know."

"What if she has a boyfriend already? That'd be so awkward. That's my favorite coffee shop in town, Kairi. If I embarrass myself, I'm never going back there again."

"Or she'll be the one to stop going." Kairi shrugged. Ventus lurched back, offended. "What? Who said you had to leave instead of her?" Kairi asked.

"Thanks for letting me know that you think I don't have a chance. And you're telling me to 'go for it' and all-" Ven air-quoted Kairi's words- "but when I tell you the same thing about your roommate, it's a whole 'nother story!"

"That _is_ different, Ven. And don't try to turn this around on me. At least I do normal things when I have guy troubles. When you have girl troubles you go off quoting songs and admiring other men for their physique."

"Hey, he was a sexy man," Ven said defensively with a joking tone. "I'd like to see this Sora guy. If he's anything like my gym trainer, then I'll understand why you're so hesitant to bed him. That can be intimidating."

"Ven!" Kairi blushed hotly. "I do not…"

"Okay, Kairi. Okay."

The two returned to their work, both feeling a little off thanks to the topic. Kairi dwelt on Ven's suggestion. She had no idea why, but she really wanted her mentor's opinion on Sora. He seemed to be a good judge of manly good looks, however strange that was. So an idea popped into her head.

"Ven! Psst! Ven!" she whispered harshly.

"Not now. I found my parents' house on Google Earth. Is that a Bugatti in the driveway?"

"Ven!" Kairi slapped his back with a folder. He finally turned around to look at her.

"_What_, Kairi?"

"How'd you like to come over for dinner tonight?"

* * *

><p><strong>Redeeming Endeavor: <strong>Thanks for reading! I'd like to send extra gratitude to those of you who either favorited or subcribed to ATH or myself! Thank you, **Lupus7, beckster411, DestinyKeyblader28, Lankyman, gr8azngrl, Sokai101, Aaralynne, CapriciousXXIISerenader, Gear001, BlackButterfly9, Oblivion17, ShadowSpooky,elspoek1, Brown Eyed Sage, 0Wishful-Thoughts0, Nikolas Sur, Spellbound a.k.a soragirl4ever, noheartx, NeverGirl, easterlily16, **and** Knt Commander**.

Take care, and I'll see you around!**  
><strong>


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

He couldn't do it. He simply couldn't do it.

When he answered a surprising call from Kairi, he did not expect a dinner request. Moreover, he never expected the reason to be what it was.

Kairi wanted to invite her boss— partner, whatever— to their apartment for dinner.

Thousands of thoughts ran through Sora's mind up until that dreaded dinnertime, and for once, it had nothing to do with memorizing a menu or recipe or proper kitchen preparations.

His thoughts fell more along the line of questions. What was Kairi doing at that very moment if she could call him at any time during work? Did this guy make her invite him? Was Kairi romantically interested in this guy and using her roommate's cooking skills to win him over? Was he too late?

_Too late_? Too late for what?

"I'm telling you, Roxas. That was a _Bugatti_ in the driveway. I saw it with my own eyes," Ven said.

"Ven, it isn't what you think it is. And this is hardly appropriate for dinner conversation. Can we talk about something else?"

"Then what was it?"

"It's… an Audi R8," Roxas said.

Riku entered the conversation. "An Audi R8? That is such a sexy car! No joke, I'm going to get me one of those in a couple years—"

"Oh will you, Riku?" Xion interrupted. "That will be with your _other_ girlfriend, I'm sure. Have fun driving your pretty car with a different girl."

"Haha! You sure know how to crush a man's dreams, Xion."

"I wouldn't have to if you weren't feeding him ideas, Ven! We just met, and now you're introducing a ton of problems into our relationship! Talk about a bad impression!"

"Hey." The call came quieter than the rest of the conversation. "Sora."

Sora snapped out of his reverie, meeting the eyes of the girl sitting next to him. He wanted to sigh in relief. There was always something calming about her gaze, even when she looked at him worriedly.

Only when she knew she held his attention did she whisper her question. "Are you okay?"

He broke eye contact, looking around the table. The jovial conversation shared between their roommates, neighbors, and guest seemed to be going strong. He returned his gaze to hers. "Yeah. I'm fine."

He knew she doubted him. Maybe that's why she elected to take his hand in hers. "Are you sure? You're being awfully quiet."

"I'm just thinking about… dessert," he finished lamely.

"Do you need help?"

"Nope," he replied curtly. He abruptly stood up and left the table. Those engaged in discourse didn't even notice him leave.

As soon as Sora entered the kitchen, he threw his hands under the cold water shooting from the sink. His hand was so warm. He should have seen it coming; she had that effect on him lately.

Afterwards, Sora pulled out the dessert he stored in the refrigerator: tiramisu. He gained permission to bring one home from work, something he was very grateful for. His boss merely smiled and reminded him that he was the one to make it in the first place. So despite being uncomfortable with taking leftovers home, Sora folded.

He grabbed a large knife and easily cut through it.

Memories from earlier flooded his mind as he plated each slice. He remembered how bitter he felt when he made the sweet cake. As soon as he got off the phone with Kairi, Sora could feel nothing but an intense anger boiling within him.

This guy— Ven— just happened to be the brother of his neighbor across the hallway. He worked with Kairi for about two weeks— a measly half-month— and suddenly they were best friends. He only grew more disturbed when he remembered Kairi's words from so many days ago.

_I need to ask Naminé if he has a twin and if I can have him!_

_Wish granted_. Sora had thought wryly. Though Ven was a few years older than his engineer of a brother, they were too similar to _not_ confuse them for twins. The stark difference— possibly the only difference— was personality. Roxas seemed to be a little more reserved than that gung-ho brother of his. In fact, if Sora had to choose someone in the room that matched Ven's personality, it'd be him.

It sucked to be around someone who acted so similarly, especially when she was involved. Apparently Ven had something Sora didn't. She probably saw a difference.

Bitter thoughts made the dessert. He feared they would taste it, that it would lack the sweetness of a perfect creation.

Along with the normal ingredients, Sora added one cup of hatred, two tablespoons of jealousy, and a dash of bad fortune.

Or at least he thought he did.

"Dessert, anyone?" he asked his diners. Everyone turned to give him a delighted smile.

"Is that tiramisu?" Ven asked excitedly. The older blond turned to his co-worker. "You told him it was my favorite, didn't you?"

"I did not! I don't know why you're trying to make me feel guilty either!" She feigned insult.

"She didn't," Sora reassured. He went around the table, placing a plate at each seat of the table. Each slice was delicately placed in the center of the plate, intricately designed with chocolate syrup. A lone slice of strawberry added the spike of color, a sour companion to complement the dish. "Does anyone need coffee?"

He received polite declines and allowed himself to sit.

"This is unreal." Ven clutched his fork tightly. "It's so… so…"

"Good?" Naminé offered.

"It's fantastic! Or marvelous… amazing… fantasamavelous!"

"Calm yourself, Ven. Word creation has never been your strong suit." Roxas rolled his eyes.

"But there's no way to describe it!" Ven turned to Sora. "I can't believe my co-worker has been keeping you from me. She comes home to you every day? Luckiest girl alive."

Sora scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. Why did he have to say it like that? "I wouldn't say it's that big a deal…"

"Sora, I've got nothing but praise for your cooking. This is absolutely the greatest home meal I've ever tasted. Hell, it's better than most restaurants I've tried. It's up there with the finest, and trust me when I say that Roxas, Naminé and I have tried the finest…"

"Ven…" The name carried a warning, but Ven didn't hear his brother.

"When I take over the company, I'm going to help you open up your own restaurant," Ven declared proudly. Sora almost choked on his food. Everyone else— excluding Roxas— seemed to find the child-like promise hilarious.

"I'm sure father will be confident in appointing you as CEO with the things you say. It sure reflects irresponsible spending."

"Irresponsible spending? _Irresponsible?_ Me? Rox, I may not be ready to take over just yet, but I sure as hell am not irresponsible. You want to know what is? Parking an Audi R8 in a _driveway_. Hello? Ever heard of a garage, Dad?" Ven seemed to calm as he took another bite of his tiramisu. "Does that man know how to take care of a car? He didn't even cover it! That's irresponsible. Am I right? Am I right?"

"Absolutely." Riku nodded emphatically.

"Riku! That is not your place to say!" Xion reprimanded.

"We're right, and that's all that counts," Ven said with a chuckle. "Now, getting back to the topic at hand: Sora's restaurant."

Sora, who had taken a backseat when the conversation turned to personal matter, immediately perked up at the mention of his name used to indicate possession of an establishment. "Thanks, but I really don't think—"

"Aww, why not? I opened my own newspaper company and look at me now!"

"Yes, look where that got you. Dad just about disowned you."

"_Exiled. _There's a difference._"_

"Right. Being exiled is so much better."

"He has no choice but to recognize me. Need I cite my paper's online growth over the past year?"

"All right boys. That's enough." Naminé stopped the quarreling with the kind of poise you'd expect from someone who had done so many times before. "Roxas, if Ven wants to open a restaurant for Sora, you have to let him. If you think you can do a better job than Ven, then void your denunciation of controlling the company."

"Um, I hate to interrupt, but I _really_ am okay with what I have now. I don't need a restaurant," Sora added timidly.

"I think you're being modest, Sora. Trust me on this one: I'm a king when it comes to investments, and I'm a boss when it comes to hiring the right people for a job." He winked at his coworker.

"I like your play on words there," Riku said with admiration.

"Thank you," Ven responded quickly. He turned back to Sora. "I'm serious about this too. I'll give you everything you need if you'd only agree to share your cooking with everyone."

"Ven, I think Sora means it." Ven turned to his co-worker who finally decided to speak up. "He's perfectly fine with his situation right now. And to be honest, I wouldn't mind having him all to myself for a little while longer. I don't think my roommates mind either."

"Yeah. I think we should just enjoy the fact that we have a sleeping talent in our midst. It'll only get better, after all."

"If you say so." Ven shrugged as he finished the last of his dessert. "May I go out on a limb here and dare to ask for more?"

* * *

><p>He couldn't do it. He simply couldn't do it.<p>

No matter how much he tried to hate Kairi's boss, he couldn't. The man was far too nice, far too _friendly_ to dislike. His personality was overwhelming; so much, in fact, that Sora felt dwarfed. People had always told him that he had a knack for lighting a room up with his personality, or that he could be friends with everyone. Ven, however, appeared to be just that and more.

And yet, Sora still couldn't bring himself to feel the slightest hint of jealousy. He actually found himself liking the outspoken journalist.

But perhaps the biggest influence of all was the fact that he made Kairi happy.

Did she laugh like that when she was with him? Did she ever clutch her sides or twirl her hair in her fingers when she found something hilarious? Did she ever appear that happy when they were best friends?

Sora stopped mid-thought. When did they stop?

"Sora." The brunet snapped back to reality, looking down at the outstretched hand before him. He instinctively shook it. Only then did he realize it belonged to Ven. "Thanks for allowing me to come over and for the wonderful meal. That tiramisu was truly the best version I've ever tried."

For the first time in his life, Sora wished he had to fake a smile. It came just as genuine as his others. "No problem! Thanks for the compliments, too. I really appreciate the recognition."

"You deserve it." Ven patted his arm. "One day, man. One day I'm going to help you open your restaurant."

"Yeah. One day." Sora nodded.

And that was it.

"He's quite a guy, isn't he?"

Sora turned around to see Kairi smiling up at him. "Yeah. He's very friendly."

"A lot like you," Kairi replied.

"I guess. I think he's a little more… confident."

"That's the way he was raised. He's a rich boy." Kairi waved it off. "Thank you, Sora."

"For what?"

"For everything you did tonight. Ven really liked you."

The fake smile Sora wished for finally came through for him. "Oh. Glad I could help!"

Kairi nodded. "Sleep tight, Sora. Good night."

"Night." Sora curved his lips upward.

An answer came to a previous question came to him: he had never stopped being Kairi's best friend. As her best friend, he wanted nothing more than her happiness.

At that moment, he decided that he would support Kairi's choices.

Even if they didn't involve him.

* * *

><p><strong>Redeeming Endeavor: <strong>I'd like to recognize **Shire Folk, Lupus7, JayDex, the ultimate kh fan, noheartx, NeverGirl, DestinyKeyblader28, Burai Stelar, beckster411, gr8azngrl, 0Wishful-Thoughts0, Sparkly Faerie, Autumn, ShadowSpooky, Yifei Li, gamemaster001, Spellbound a.k.a soragirl4ever, elspoek1, Claymore Person, animadicct'123, KurukiXV, Kingdom Hearts Otaku, LittleKeybladeNinja, Cool Haruhiism-follower, Mokimoki-chan, zestycrouton, **and** KairiXSora4ever**. Thanks so much for reviewing last chapter! I can't believe these little things are that entertaining.

Take care. I'll see you around.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Contrary to popular belief, Ventus was a rather insecure fellow.

Perhaps it was the result of being born into the social elite as the firstborn son of a man who inherited an empire in the business world. Maybe it had to do with the fact that his last name happened to be displayed on at least one building of every major city and upper-class setting all over the world.

The most likely case, however, was simple: it was him. He was naturally shy and unconfident.

His brother Roxas was a similar case. The poor kid had a stutter and would often ramble and rattle when he got nervous. His parents were convinced he had Asperger's, but clinical diagnosis showed that it was part of his personality that would probably disappear in time.

No proper son of a businessman would appear that weak and simultaneously be able to continue the success of the empire. Business was a dog-eat-dog setting, and only the best got out alive.

So Roxas and Ventus had to fix their problems quickly.

Roxas didn't find his answer until college, where he met a charming art student who seemed to add the wind to his sails of self-respect. Their parents immediately fell in love with her, bestowing their best wishes on the marriage that happened soon after Roxas's college graduation. It seemed to work out for him.

Ven discovered his answer much earlier. He didn't know whether or not that made him lucky.

Around the time he hit puberty, Ven discovered something very important in his life: he was inferior in almost every way imaginable to the sons and daughters of his father's friends. His grades were subpar compared to his rivals. Athletically, he often fell into the latter half of the class that got picked for teams. And his leadership skills— if any— were always shadowed by the louder, larger, and more confident kids.

But there was an area where Ven recognized he had the upper hand: communication.

Ironically, the very thing that scared him the most— public speaking, group interaction, the works— turned out to be his strong suit. It was strange, at first, since things he thought obvious were actually rather sublime. He could tell a forced smile from a genuine one. He knew when he shook hands with an insecure client. He recognized reluctance behind the eyes of an investor.

And naturally, being inferior to his peers taught him the most important lesson in all of business: capitalize on opportunities.

He found his niche. He didn't graduate summa cum laude at one of the top universities in the world without the help of his communication assets. His mediocre grades rose above the ranks thanks to his ability to network with those who could help him. His leadership skills improved with time, though since he wasn't a natural leader, he often had to earn his place.

That wasn't so bad when you knew how to butter someone up.

But it was never good enough for his father.

And he probably didn't help his cause when he used the money he saved up from his parents to open up a privately-owned _newspaper_ business. His father _laughed_ at him. What kind of businessman would invest in a dying field?

The smart one, Ven said. One who recognized that the field was far from dying, but instead going through a total change.

Ven went with his gut and capitalized on an opportunity.

His father promptly ceased all communications with him.

Ven, however, was not completely cut from his family. He retained a strong bond with his brother, who elected to also lead a more humble life— as humble as possible, anyway— nearby. Roxas kept him up with the inside workings of their father's company, informing him about the different deals and gripes of the shareholders. He tried not to show it, Roxas turned out to be Ven's biggest supporter.

It was only through Roxas, after all, that Ven met Kairi.

At first glance, Ven thought Kairi completely failed to take advantage of an opportunity somewhere along the line. She was a pretty face with a charming personality. Her smile complemented just about every one of her features. She was a young, fresh face with loads of potential.

So why the hell didn't she go into television?

"I'm a writer, not eye-candy. I want people to hear my voice."

So why the hell didn't she go into radio?

"Because I have more than one voice."

To someone else, Kairi would probably come off as some stuck up snob who felt entitled to a high paying job straight out of school. Such an answer was so prideful. Anyone with a brain would know to use every advantage possible.

Her approach was so reckless. In fact, it was borderline stupid.

Ven hired her right on the spot.

It was that gut feeling again. Something in his mind flashed a bright sign with the word 'opportunity' scrolling across in colorful letters.

He was relieved to find that her résumé and portfolio were strong. She really did have a multitude of voices; he could put her anywhere. She knew how to write unbiased and professional, and she knew how to opinionate her writing to the point where it'd annoy someone so much that they'd _have_ to write a response. She could write a wicked advice column too, a natural strength thanks to her wonderful sense of humor.

He quickly befriended her. They clicked. Life at work became more interesting with her around. She learned all about him, and he learned all about her.

They came to the conclusion that both of them were incredibly fucked up people.

If Ven thought he was crazy (he did), Kairi was on a different level of insanity. After all, he wasn't the one who sought more work after essentially raping a drunk man. He also wasn't the one to allow said drunk man to feel him up.

"Sounds like a pretty healthy habit to me."

"I don't make a habit out of drunkenly hooking up with my best friends."

"I was talking about your reason for working."

As always, it was easy for Ven to extrapolate the truth: Kairi was totally into this guy, sober or not.

And then he met Kairi's best friend— intoxicated lover, inebriated sex god, _whatever_— on a spontaneous dinner night. On top of apparently being awesome at making out while only half-there in the sober sense, Ven also learned that this guy could cook a mean meal. It came as a total surprise.

And the tiramisu from heaven. Ven could've died happily right then and there.

However, that was not all Ven learned that night. Sora was totally into Kairi too. Though Ven made a show to talk with the rest of Kairi's housemates and prod his brother, his true focus was on the cook. He didn't miss the way Sora would look at Kairi when she laughed at one of his own jokes. Ven was more than aware that Sora assumed there was something between his crush and her boss.

The notion was rather hilarious. Kairi was a very pretty woman, but not exactly Ven's type. They just liked to confide in each other.

It didn't take Ven's uncanny abilities to see that Sora was confused, and it was more than obvious that Ven dug himself into a hole. He unintentionally got in the way of love. It was a dumb mistake that had to be corrected.

And Ven preferred to tackle problems head-on.

* * *

><p>Ven turned his car into one of the many vacant spaces in the parking lot, eying his GPS critically. According to the directions, he parked along the side of the very building where Sora worked. It seemed to be a very cozy restaurant; judging by the interior, it must have been quite new too. The color scheme was inviting as sunlight poured from the wide front windows, filling the restaurant with a convenient and favorable warmth. It must've been family-owned. The restaurant was completely empty, mostly due to the three o'clock slump of a weekday.<p>

Ven spotted a young woman behind the register who seemed to be more interested in her cellphone than her customers. Clearing his throat, Ven caught the girl's attention and asked for Sora in the most charming manner he could muster. She blushed, nodded quickly, and scampered behind a door that almost certainly led to the kitchen. Sora emerged seconds later, wiping his hands dry with a towel. His eyes widened in surprise when he recognized his visitor.

Ven merely smiled, raising his hand for a small wave. "Hello, Sora. Could you spare a second to talk?"

Sora nodded quickly, coming around the counter. "Y-Yeah, of course! Do you have an order or something?" He led the patron to a nearby table.

"Um… yeah." Ven nodded. He supposed he could order something for the office for a future date. It'd make the plan a lot smoother. "But there's something else I'd like to speak about."

"Okay. What's on your mind?"

Ven wasted no time as he sat across the cook. "It's about Kairi."

* * *

><p>One down, one to go.<p>

Ven quite enjoyed these missions. If he didn't become a businessman— in other words, if he were born into a different family— he would've been a match maker. A marriage counselor was also a possibility. Nevertheless, Ven considered the task to be a hobby of his. Nothing like making two people realize their feelings for each other, after all. The reward was in the romance.

With Sora out of the way (or at least incorporated into the plan), Ven was free to pull Kairi in.

He almost _giggled_. It was so exciting!

"Kairi! Psst! Kairi!"

"Yes, Ven?"

"What are you wearing to work on Halloween?"

Kairi rolled her eyes. "That's not for another three weeks, Ven."

"So? What are you wearing?"

"What are _you_ wearing?"

"I don't know. I'm caught between slutty Disney princess and pirate hooker," Ven said thoughtfully. "You?"

"I don't dress for Halloween. I hate it."

Ven gasped exaggeratedly, clutching his heart as if it froze in his chest. "Kairi! How could you say that? No kid in their right mind denied free candy on Halloween night! Not even the ones who could buy the candy companies!" It was an obvious example of his self-deprecating humor.

"Yeah, but I'm not a kid anymore," Kairi replied shortly.

Ven frowned. _Someone_ didn't get to be a Power Ranger for Halloween. "So are you not dressing up after the boss—"

"You mean you?"

"—said that we were allowed to wear costumes to work that day?" Ven asked. "It's on a Monday this year! How often do you get to dress down on a _Monday_ at work?"

"I'd rather dress according to code than wear some stupid costume."

A devilish smirk formed on Ven's face as soon as the words left his ears. "You'd rather adhere to dress code, you say?"

Kairi spun in her chair, a dreadful expression on her face. "What did I just do?"

Ven rubbed his hands together and allowed himself to laugh evilly. The people in the office were so used to his weird antics that they ignored him. "Nothing, my dear. You just gave me an idea, is all."

* * *

><p><strong>Redeeming Endeavor:<strong> I'd like to thank those of you who take the time to let me know you're reading! This one goes to **mokimoki-chan, Burai Stelar, Gear001, Shire Folk, Revenge of the Red Pen, elspoek1, Spellbound a.k.a soragirl4ever, beckster411, DestinyKeyblader28, Lupus7, Sw1ft Blad3, RoxasLuvsCookies, the-random-dog-fertilizer, bookwormally, the ultimate kh fan, anonymous, gamemaster001, GreyPurpleBlack, LittleKeybladeNinja, KairiXSora4ever, 0Wishful-Thoughts0, **and** Sokai101**!

Take care, and see you around!


	14. Halloween Special

**Redeeming Endeavor: **It's still Halloween somewhere in the world. Hope you all had a good one!

* * *

><p><span>Halloween Special<span>

Kairi was not a Halloween person.

Sure, it was nice to run around in a costume when she was little, but then she got older. The whole idea of it just didn't stick with her. Children dressed up on Halloween because it was fun and they got candy. Adults dressed up on Halloween because it was the only day in the year when someone could look sleazy and slutty and get away with it.

_Seriously?_ Kairi thought when she walked by a coworker. S_ince when did Snow White wear a miniskirt? I'm positive that the seven little men she lived with would've gotten an eyeful if that were the case_.

It was all rather disgusting. Maybe Kairi was biased because she didn't take well to scary things and blood and guts, but there was no reason to turn her princess heroines into whores. It wasn't even sexy. It was tasteless.

Kairi realized that she was the only person to ignore the mandate that all employees dress in some sort of costume for the day. The _only one_. It actually amazed her that all these people were okay with dressing up. She couldn't have been the only person to think this was a stupid idea. Were they that afraid of losing their jobs that much?

"Say cheese!"

Kairi flinched and squeezed her eyes shut just after a camera flash blinded her vision. She slowly opened her eyes and glared at the culprit.

"Was that necessary?"

"I'm only doing my job as freelance photographer!" Ven stuck out his hand, pushing the fake glasses up along his nose. "Peter Parker at your service!"

Kairi slowly reached out and shook Ven's hand for the sake of participation. "Isn't he a superhero?" she asked with a raised brow.

Ven fell into his normal chair, toying around with his expensive-looking camera. "Are you for real, Kairi? You don't know who I am?"

Kairi immediately got defensive. "I just said you were a superhero!" Quickly racking her brain, Kairi thought hard until she remembered where she heard the familiar-sounding name. "Oh! You're Spiderman!"

Ven smiled proudly, taking a few quick shots of Kairi. After lowering the camera from his face, he unbuttoned his shirt slightly to reveal the iconic blue and red suit of his alter-ego. "Don't tell anyone!"

"I hate to burst your bubble, but I think everyone knows who Peter Parker is." Leaning back into her chair, Kairi crossed her arms and sighed. A shirtless coworker walked by, earning a strange look from her. "Ven, why is there a shirtless man walking around our office?"

Ven craned his neck, looking for their coworker. "No idea. What are you supposed to be, Kairi? That doesn't look like a costume to me!"

"I decided to be a journalist for Halloween," Kairi replied curtly. She spun her chair around, pretending to get back to work.

Ven didn't buy it. He hopped out of his seat and turned Kairi around to face him. "Seriously, Kairi? You didn't dress up for Halloween even after the boss said so?"

"If I'm going to get fired because I'm not wearing a stupid _costume_, I'll take it. Sure as hell beats getting fired for being unproductive." Kairi crossed her arms stubbornly. She was intent on not celebrating Halloween. No amount of candy could make her dress up either. Not anymore.

"Well that certainly won't do." Ven reached into Kairi's hair, pulling all the pins holding her hair in place. "I like you. I'm not about to fire you for disobeying my orders."

"What are you doing?" Kairi reached out and grabbed Ven's wrists, keeping him from taking apart her ensemble. She spent a good amount of time on her hair this morning!

"Just trust me." Ven's words didn't exactly coincide with his actions; he unbuttoned Kairi's blouse, getting only one before she swatted him away.

"What the hell are you doing?" Kairi hissed. "That's sexual harassment!"

"You are way too sensitive," Ven muttered.

Kairi, on the other hand, had lost all her patience. She knew societal standards dropped to an all-time low during this time of year, but she was pretty sure she could still press charges if another human being began to undress her in the workplace.

"Ven, how many times do I have to tell you? I'm _not_ putting on a costume. I _hate_ Halloween. I haven't liked it since I got too old to get candy. And no!" Kairi raised her finger when Ven opened his mouth to speak, "I don't care how much candy you'll give me. I am not changing. At all. Are we clear?"

Ven nodded. "Kairi, I wasn't trying to undress you. For real!" His eyes widened in exasperation. "I was just trying to make the most out of your outfit. You're the only one here who came without an idea or dressing up. I'm just trying to help."

"Ven, I just said I don't—"

"I know what you just said, but I need you to work with me. I can't be giving you preferential treatment. I had the boss man tell everyone to wear a costume, and everyone expects that to be enforced. Seriously, I've got an idea to avoid any problem. I swear I'm looking out for you. I just need you to help me out and accept this. How would you feel if we gave one person special treatment and ignored the rest of you?"

Kairi looked away. Her anger clouded her judgment. _You could have avoided all of this if you never made costumes mandatory, _she thought icily.

"If it makes you more comfortable, then you do it. Just let your hair down, open your blouse up a little, and show yourself off." Ven listed off as he wrote something on a name tag sticker. "All you have to do is put this on." He held his thumb out, waiting for Kairi to remove the sticker from it.

She reluctantly obliged and read the label. "Mary Jane?" She looked to Ven, completely puzzled. "Is this some marijuana joke or something?"

"No!" Ven walked over to his desk and grabbed his camera. "You are my redheaded bombshell of a love interest: Mary Jane Watson!"

A smile tugged the corners of Kairi's lips. "You just gave me a speech about preferential treatment, and then you go and make me your costume counterpart."

"They don't even know I'm Peter Parker, but a nameless photographer. I've been claiming to be Clark Kent every now and then too." Ven shrugged. "It would have been great if you at least wore a wig. I don't know many redheads in the media. Unless, of course, you're willing to throw on a mermaid fin and—"

"I'll stick with the name tag, thanks."

"That's fine!" Ven took one last snap shot of Kairi, earning a grumbling protest. "I'm gonna show this to the boss. I told him we're throwing a party if everyone dresses up. Get psyched, Kairi. There's going to be treats!"

Kairi watched him walk off before sighing to herself. She had to wonder why Ven liked to make things complicated with a stand-in boss when everyone knew that he was the real owner anyway. She guessed it made him feel like one of them.

Taking a tentative look at her name tag, Kairi straightened her shirt out and flipped her freed hair. She turned back to her work, hoping to find some peace in her ridiculous workplace.

* * *

><p><em>All according to plan,<em> thought Ven as he changed in the stall of his bathroom. It was almost a little too easy for him. Banking on the fact that Kairi would dress in something _boring_, and more likely nothing special at all, he knew he'd have to find a way to apply her to something. It seemed to go well.

Reaching into his pants pocket, Ven pulled out his phone and dialed the caterer's number. His call was answered quickly.

"Hey, Sora!" Ven greeted, struggling to slip into his costume. "Is my order ready and on its way?"

"It's ready, but I haven't left yet," Sora said. "Where are you? There's an echo over the call."

Ven took a moment to look at his surroundings. "Meh, just calling you during my daily dump." Ven snickered at his own joke. It was funny because he actually wasn't using the toilet, but Sora didn't know that because—

_Oh_, Ven thought. _That's only funny if he knows that I'm actually changing._

Upon realizing that he only made himself laugh, Ven concluded that he was a total loser.

"Ven?"

"Huh? Sorry, I didn't catch that. Care to repeat?"

"Would you like me to leave?" Sora asked again. "I can start heading over now if you'd like."

"Yeah, that'd be great," Ven replied. He slipped an arm into his costume, flexing his fingers into their sleeves. "You remember the directions I gave you?"

"Yup." There was a slight pause before Sora spoke again. "Ven, can I ask you again why you're doing this?"

"You mean helping you?" Ven grunted into the phone as he zipped his costume up his back.

"…Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"Let's just say I this is one of my hobbies."

"What if you're wrong?"

"I know when I'm wrong, Sora. This doesn't fall under the category. Don't worry, I'll make sure to prove it to you. Or at least, Kairi will."

"What? How?"

Ven packed the rest of his clothes into his bag, looking down at his costume proudly. "Easy. You are, after all, coming as Spiderman."

* * *

><p>Maybe Kairi was being a little harsh and judgmental.<p>

Her coworkers were generally happy people who were satisfied with their jobs. Most of that had to do with Ven's efforts to make the workplace a comfortable environment. Though she didn't quite agree with the dress code for this particular day, the other people did. On more than one occasion, Kairi witnessed her coworkers laughing and commenting about someone's costume. A few even shared memories and funny experiences. Apparently people got wild around Halloween.

If Ven had told her that there was a conditional party, Kairi probably would have at least came in Xion's scrubs or something. Who was she to deny these people a party? She knew for a fact that she didn't feel like working, and everyone else probably felt the same way. Besides, how many people could say they had a Halloween party instead of working? Ven wasn't thinking about a lunch break. He was thinking more along the lines of full-out party.

Talk about irresponsible.

Kairi shook her head. It wasn't her place to judge. It was nice of Ven to throw a party for everyone. Even if it was Halloween-themed, she was going to try and enjoy it.

"Psst! Kairi!"

Kairi slowly turned her chair around, only to shriek in surprise when she saw Spiderman crouching underneath Ven's desk.

"What the hell?"

"Sssshhh!" The costumed man held a finger to where his lips would be. "Kairi, you wouldn't believe how awesome the past seven minutes were. I literally crawled and snuck my way over here without anyone noticing. It was so _cool_. I'm an awesome Spiderman."

Kairi sighed when she recognized Ven's voice. "Why in the world would you do that?"

"Because nobody knows I'm Spiderman!" Ven pulled off his mask, grinning boyishly. "It took some time, but it was so worth it. I was like a ninja, only… I was Spiderman."

Kairi pinched the bridge of her nose. The conclusion was inescapable: her boss was a total man-child.

"Do you think you can do me a favor?" Ven asked quietly. "I'm thinking about— hold on, my Spidey Senses are tingling!" He pulled his chair over to his desk and became completely still as a coworker walked by. His face changed from a quiet concentration to a huge smile, similar to the kind of expression people wear when they win a huge award. "Did you see that?"

"Yes, Ven. You're brilliant." Kairi rolled her eyes.

"I wish somebody was here to record all of this. I am way too good at this." Ven pushed his chair aside. "Anyway, I was thinking about starting the party in like, less than five minutes. I was wondering if you could help me out."

"Does it involve crawling around with you and tingling sensations?"

"Not exactly." Ven ignored her sarcasm. "I want to start things off with a bang. As Mary Jane, you're involved. But really, all you have to do is sit here and wait for me. When I get here, I need you to play along."

"So I have to do something?" Kairi folded one of her legs over the other.

"Yeah, just follow my lead. I promise it's nothing big. I can't tell you either, because I don't really know myself. We'll improvise."

Kairi sighed and leaned back into her chair. "Yeah, I guess. Why not?"

"Yes!" Ven closed his fists as he cheered. "Thank you. I promise you won't regret it." Ven slipped his mask on before peeking around his desk. "A word of advice, Kairi: play along as far as you're comfortable with. If at all you feel like you can't keep the act up anymore, stop. Clear?"

"You make it sound like this is going to be one of my life's biggest choices." Kairi laughed. When Ven only stared back, Kairi nodded. "Fine. I'll be the perfect actress just for you."

"And you'll stop right before you're uncomfortable?"

"If it gets to that point." Kairi shrugged.

"Awesome. I'll be back in a few minutes." With that, Ven dove from his hiding spot and rolled around another desk. Kairi shook her head and smiled. He was taking his temporary role a little too seriously.

Still, Kairi waited for Ven to make his appearance, admittedly a little anxious to find out what he had planned. Knowing him, it'd be something "fun" and light-hearted.

A few minutes later, Kairi heard a few cheers from the other side of the office area. She craned her neck, wondering why a crowd began to gather near the entrance.

Then, Spiderman broke from the crowd, spraying a ton of party string in every direction. A few people who chose to dress as villains were covered in the sticky web substitute, obviously the efforts of her boss.

Kairi laughed as the costumed man jumped onto a cleared desk— obviously the work of prior planning— and dropped into a pose. The crowd cheered, loudly chanting "Spidey! Spidey!"

Then, he turned to Kairi and paused. The small gathering fell quieter as he took slow steps toward the edge of the desk. Reaching the end, he hopped down. Someone from the crowd hollered. "Hey! That's Mary Jane!"

A few of the coworkers laughed and cheered when Spiderman gave them a thumbs up. He stopped in front of Kairi, his web-slinging arms hanging at his side.

Kairi assumed it was her turn to act. "Well done, Spidey. Looks like you got all of 'em." She smiled at all her coworkers who were covered in party string, earning a collective laugh. She looked him in the eye, lowering her voice just so he was the only one who could hear. "You sure know how to make an entrance. I'll give you that." She imagined Ven would be smiling under the mask.

"Hey! I think Spiderman deserves a hero's kiss from his girl!" Someone suggested from the crowd. A few people shouted in agreement before falling into another mantra: "Kiss him! Kiss him! Kiss him!"

Kairi, on the other hand, was a little more reserved. Still, she'd play along while she could. "I don't know…" she said over the noise. "Does he deserve it?"

"Hell yeah!"

"He's Spiderman!"

Kairi laughed at the crowd's reactions. In front of her, Spiderman wordlessly shrugged and tilted his head, expecting her to remove his mask. Kairi shrugged as well, slowly walking up to him. "Well, if the people say so, who am I to deny a hero?" Kairi giggled, both over the roar of approval and the cheesiness of her line. She rested her hands on his shoulders before tucking her fingers underneath the opening of his mask. Slowly, she began to roll up the barrier between his lips and hers.

"Yeah! Go MJ!"

"She's actually doing it!"

"Yeah, girl! Get some!"

Kairi rolled her eyes, pushing the mask up just enough to reveal his lips. Her coworkers hooted and hollered, cheering her on to continue the scene. With deliberate slowness, Kairi inched her face forward. She felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist, making her take a sharp breath.

She paused. A strange feeling rose in her chest and a face flashed in her mind: Sora.

Kairi blinked twice, realizing how close she had gotten. She pulled away slightly, whispering directly to her acting partner. "Ven, I think this is as far as I'm going."

The cheers for action only grew louder. Spiderman, still in the act, seemed to side with the people. He pulled Kairi close against his body.

"Ven, I'm done." Kairi didn't feel the hold around her waist loosen. She began to worry, wondering if Ven had forgotten what he had told her. Again, Sora's face flashed through her mind. She wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that another man was holding her so closely. "Ven, seriously. I… I can't do this. I feel like I'm betraying Sora for some reason—"

Lips pressed against her own silenced the rest of her words. The initial shock paralyzed Kairi, but then she reacted. Instead of pushing him away like she thought she would, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

It was strange. The feeling that spread through her was familiar and intoxicating. She thought she wanted to pull away, but her body didn't listen. It recognized something that Kairi didn't.

The kiss felt like Sora.

It couldn't have been Ven. The kiss was too emotional, too _real_ to be an act. It made Kairi feel weak at the knees while making her heart pound harder. It melted her so much that she felt like she was drowning in pleasure. The feeling of hot lips moving against her own sparked an incredible desire within her core. She wanted _more_.

And then he pulled away.

Only then did Kairi realize how loud everyone was cheering. They laughed and clapped and pumped their fists, satisfied that they had gotten their way. Kairi looked at her partner, expecting to see the familiar blue eyes of her best friend, but instead met with only a mask. He rolled down his mask, but it was enough.

Kairi saw _that_ grin just before the mask took it away from her. She slowly unwound her arms from around his neck, her eyes wide in both disbelief and relief. "Sora?" she called out to him.

He turned away, taking a step backward. And just like his entrance, he darted into the crowd, running through with the aloofness of a busy hero.

Kairi stood in shock as her coworkers surrounded her, barraging her with questions and compliments for the steamy kiss. She allowed herself to smile, her eyes trained in the direction of where he left.

Maybe Halloween wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

><p>Ven sat on the hood of his car, thoroughly enjoying his recently-delivered tiramisu. He was pretty satisfied with himself. His master plan worked out perfectly, and the office seemed to love it. Hopefully Kairi could deal with bombardment for the next five minutes.<p>

But until then, the tiramisu was all his.

"You were right." Sora's voice turned Ven around. "She did try to stop."

"Told you it wasn't me she had the hots for." Ven nudged the now-maskless caterer. "I watched the whole thing. If you'd like, I could send you the pictures later too." Ven pointed to the camera hanging around his neck.

Sora blushed madly. "I think I'm all right." He crumpled his mask in his hand, unable to keep himself from smiling. "I have a feeling I'll be remembering that kiss for a long time."

"Nice of you to finally jump on that bandwagon." Ven snorted.

Confused and puzzled, Sora turned to him with his head tilted. "Huh?"

Ven smacked his face. "Oh, right." He quickly composed himself. Sora didn't need to know that the girl he liked totally took advantage of him while he was intoxicated. "It's nothing. What you should be thinking about is where you'll go from here. I think she knew it was you by the end of it all."

"Yeah, she did." Sora sighed wistfully, a glazed look over his face. "It's going to be so weird seeing her tonight. Like super awkward."

"Weird for you? Try dealing with her now. She knows I was the one who set this up," Ven joked. He patted Sora on the back. "Don't think about that right now. You should be enjoying the moment and the memory. Everything will fall into place for you two."

"We have you to thank for that." Sora unlocked his restaurant's delivery van and climbed in. "You have to tell me how I'll repay you."

"How about you promise to stop running away from your feelings from now on?" Ven crossed his arms, clearly embarrassing Sora. "I suppose a free cake of tiramisu would do as well."

Sora laughed. "I think I can do that."

"Then we're even." Ven nodded. "See you later, Sora." Ven stood back, allowing Sora to drive away. After taking a large bite of his dessert, Ven placed his small plate on the roof of his car. He turned on his camera, pressing a button that would allow him to review his pictures. He laughed to himself as he watched the scene replay in sequential photos, finally stopping on a single image. Though Kairi claimed to hate Halloween, her face told a totally different story.

"Happy Halloween, Kairi."

* * *

><p><strong>Redeeming Endeavor<strong>:Thanks to **ShadowSpooky, Kaoru-chibimaster, Lupus7, JayDex, DestinyKeyblader28, Gear001, Spellbound a.k.a soragirl4ever, Burai Stelar, RoxasLuvsCookies, beckster411, Sw1ft Blad3, 0Wishful-Thoughts0, Agent1134, Mokimoki-chan, gr8azngrl, Cool Haruhiism-follower, Shouting Girl, elspoek1, twokeyz, KurukiXV, **and **LittleKeybladeNinja!**

Thanks so much for reading! Take care, and see you around!**  
><strong>


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Four days. Sora had to wait four whole days before his schedule left him another room to breathe and see Kairi.

He didn't believe Ven at first. To him, it seemed obvious that something was going on between the two. Needless to say, Sora was extremely surprised to find that Ven in fact didn't like Kairi that way. Moreover, Ven knew that _he_ had a thing for Kairi.

After deciding that he would have to stop running from his feelings, Sora took up Ven's offer to switch places with him in a workplace party. Ven reassured him that Kairi would find a way to tell them how she felt, even if she didn't realize it. And it paid off: as soon as Sora heard his name leave Kairi's lips when she thought she was kissing Ven, he went for it.

And _damn_ did it feel good.

Unfortunately, the scheduling conflict stepped in. Kairi worked the hours Sora was off, and Sora had to go in when Kairi was home. That four day period was the longest of his life.

But time didn't stop for anything. Sora never thought he'd ever come to appreciate that.

* * *

><p>Sora leaned into the cool breeze, stretching his legs out and back again to get a little momentum. Despite the reason he usually went to the park across the street, Sora found himself happy and carefree. The swing set was always his favorite anyway: so many memories of jumping contests with Riku were tied to it.<p>

It was dark now. The daylight didn't last long anymore since they were getting closer to winter. The sky above was clear and cloudless, and the bright moon singlehandedly outshone the stars. It was so quiet. So peaceful.

"I knew I'd find you here."

Sora turned around, a grin forming on his face as he recognized the approaching figure. "I'd expect you to know that. You know, since you're my best friend and all."

Kairi smiled back, tucking a few strands of loose hair behind her ear. "Mind if I join you?" She pointed to the adjacent swing.

Sora stuck out his hand. "Be my guest." Pressing his heels into the ground, Sora brought himself to a complete stop. "Since you're here, I'm guessing they're stilling fighting?"

"Yeah. It doesn't look to be ending anytime soon." Kairi nodded. "What are they fighting about?"

"Whose family to visit for Thanksgiving this year. Or rather, whose family to visit _first_ this year. Riku wants to visit his family first to watch the football games with his family, but Xion thinks they should see her family first on the grounds they rotate every year." Sora explained their roommates' argument.

"That seems so pointless." Kairi shook her head. "Sometimes I wonder how they've lasted so long."

"Probably because no matter how many times they fight, they find a way to get through it. Of course, this one is rather… menial compared to their other ones." Sora chuckled to himself. "Still, I don't like getting in the crossfire. I've learned from my mistakes."

Kairi giggled. "So you've successfully avoided Riku's call to take his side."

"Dodged it like a true friend." Sora smirked mirthfully.

The pair fell silent, content with light swaying and the squeaks of the swing set. Sora looked over at Kairi, drinking in the sight of her. Her jeans were tucked into boots, and her body well-kept in a black parka. Her hands lightly gripped the swing chains as she used her weight to move. She seemed to be lost in her own little world.

"Hey," he called out for her attention. "Wanna have a contest?"

Kairi tilted her head, half-knowing what he'd say. "What kind of contest?"

"Let's see who can swing the highest and jump the farthest," Sora said.

Kairi quirked a brow. "Are you sure? I'm pretty sure I haven't lost this kind of contest since… well, I've never lost," she said cheekily. "I'd hate to bruise your ego."

"Wow. You did not just diss my skills." Sora deadpanned.

"Or lack thereof," Kairi shot back playfully. She swung her legs back, swinging with greater velocity. "Are you sure you wanna do this? Just 'cause you're my best friend doesn't mean I'm taking it easy on you."

"I've competed with the best," Sora said, mirroring Kairi's actions. "I'm kind of a big deal when it comes to this."

Kairi sputtered into a bubbly laugh. "At swinging?"

"Don't be surprised if I break a few records here," Sora continued his joke.

"Nothing like two full-grown adults swinging as high as they can and competing in a kid's game." Kairi sighed happily.

"Hey, just because we're adult-_sized_ doesn't mean we can't be kids again," Sora chided. "I'm surprised you're swinging as high as me."

"I'm not. This is nothing." Kairi attempted to get more momentum, but the swing seemed to be at its limit. "I think you should go first. There's nothing more embarrassing than coming up short, after all."

Sora narrowed his eyes. "Oh we'll see. Here goes!" With a final heave forward, Sora launched himself from his swing at the ideal point. He flew forward and tucked into a roll when he landed hard.

"Whoa! That's cheating!" Kairi called from the swing.

Sora stood up to full height, a good distance away from where he was a moment before. "It's part of the game!"

"Yeah right!" Kairi kept swinging. "The distance you got on the roll doesn't count."

Sora rolled his eyes, but grinned at his opponent. He tucked his hands behind his head. "Fine. As long as you land past the point where I landed, you win. But good luck with that."

"You say that like you've already won," Kairi said matter-of-factly. "You underestimate me."

"Prove me wrong."

Kairi smiled, feeling the adrenaline rush as she prepared to jump. She allowed herself to swing once, twice, thrice. And then she leapt, her arms flailing slightly as she flew a considerable distance.

She landed a foot ahead of Sora, crashing into him as she tried to stop herself from moving forward.

Sora caught her in his arms, pushed back only a few steps. They stayed like that, laughing together in their own little playground game. "You're welcome I was here to catch you."

Kairi giggled, parting from him slightly to look into his eyes. "I think you meant to apologize for not taking me seriously. I beat you by a good foot."

Sora nodded with a chuckle. "Yes, yes. You won that if I don't count the roll."

"If you wanted to count the roll, you should've said so before you issued the contest. But since you didn't, it's safe to say that I am clearly the winner," Kairi said proudly.

Sora quite liked how close they were now. Their breaths labored by laughter and exhilarating flight, the couple stood with numb legs and smiling faces.

"I know it was you." Kairi finally said. "I know it was you I kissed on Halloween."

Sora, though he didn't need to say it, replied, "Yeah. It was."

Kairi stared into his eyes. "Did you enjoy it as much as I did?"

Sora nodded. "Every second of it." Wrapping his arms more securely around Kairi, he pulled her close and pressed their bodies together. "I couldn't stop thinking about it, if you must know the truth."

"Me neither." Kairi felt herself slipping away. Her hands drifted upward, running up Sora's chest and stopping to rest around his neck. "What do we do?"

A shrug was Sora's response of choice. "I have a few ideas." Sora leaned forward, capturing Kairi's lips in a slow, tantalizing kiss.

A sigh escaped her when they parted. "Good idea," she whispered against his lips. "Will this work?"

"I want it to," Sora said quietly. "I know it'll be tough, but I want this."

"Me too." Kairi ran her hands through his hair, pressing her forehead to his. "I want to at least try." This time, Kairi kissed him. Their lips moved in unison, a swell of urgency and relief flooding their systems.

Sora parted again, his breaths short. "I'll do whatever it takes to make this work."

"You won't mind going slow?"

"I'll go as slow as you need me to." He planted kisses along her rosy cheeks, his lips brushing her skin. "Whatever you need, I'll do it."

"You know you don't have to."

"I want to," he replied as soon as the words left her mouth. "You… mean a lot to me, Kairi."

"You have to be happy too." Kairi squeezed her eyes shut. She knew Sora was going to make her happy, but she didn't know if she could do the same.

"As long as you let me be with you, then I'm happy. That's all I need." Sora smiled as he pressed his lips to her forehead.

Kairi giggled, her eyes watering as she became overwhelmed with elation. "Don't be silly. I don't deserve this."

"Yes you do."

"That's just best friend bias."

"Take it for what it is, Kairi." Sora held Kairi's face in his hands, locking with her eyes in a loving gaze. "Just accept the fact that you make me happy without even trying."

* * *

><p>The first sign that the argument ended well was the fact that it quiet when Sora and Kairi returned to their apartment. The second sign— Riku's absence from the couch— also indicated that the fighting couple obviously made up in more ways than one.<p>

Hand in hand, the apartment's new couple stepped into the living room quietly, snickering as they tried to navigate their home in the darkness. Riku and Xion were probably already asleep, evident by the lack of light slipping from the crack under the door. Sora pulled Kairi along, ensuring that she wouldn't run into a while. He stopped abruptly when he felt the doorknob of his room, causing Kairi to bump into him.

"Gee, thanks!" Kairi rubbed her nose, a fit of giggles erupting from her control. "How silly of me to expect a warning that we're stopping when _I can't see a freaking thing."_

"Sorry." Sora opened the door to his room. He turned on the nearby lamp, filling the space with a dim light. "There! Now we can see."

"Now I won't have to run into anything." Kairi walked across the hallway, opening the door to her own room. "Be right back."

"Huh?" Sora blinked, but Kairi slipped into her room before he got an answer. Shrugging it off, Sora changed into his a pair of basketball shorts and a loose fitting t-shirt, his normal sleeping outfit. As soon as he slipped his shirt on, Kairi emerged from her room in a nightgown. Sora gulped.

Kairi silently closed her door before stepping inside Sora's room. She closed his door as well, leaning her back against it. "I hope you don't mind, but I was hoping to spend the night over here."

"Not at all." Sora shook his head fervently. Shivers ran down his spine at the sight of Kairi's alluring smile. He suddenly realized that Kairi was in front of him, pushing him into a sitting position on his bed.

The room warmed considerably.

"Do you mind if I turn this off?" Kairi walked up to the lamp and turned it off without Sora's answer. She made her way over to Sora, cupping his face in her hands as she straddled him. "Are you tired?"

"N-Not at all," Sora stuttered, wrapping his arms around Kairi's slim waist. "Why do you ask?" Instead of an immediate answer, Sora felt Kairi's lips moving against his own. He quickly responded by pulling Kairi close and falling onto the bed.

"I know I said I wanted to take it slow, but… let's just say I have some catching up to do."

Sora shuddered in excitement as Kairi drowned him in another seductive kiss.

* * *

><p><strong>Redeeming Endeavor:<strong>A huge thank you goes out to the readers who subscribed or added this story to their lists. The response from last chapter was awesome!

Special thanks, of course, goes to you readers who took the time to leave me a few words of kindness! **Lupus7, ALlied Forces, Burai Stelar, Sw1ft Blad3, Spellbound a.k.a soragirl4ever, Revenge of the Red Pen, Gear001, beckster411, Shire Folk, DestinyKeyblader28, RoxasLuvsCookies, KairiXSora4ever, Kingdom Hearts Otaku, gr8azngrl, Mokimoki-chan, the ultimate kh fan, Armanifan, Gumi Harue, Bluedemon322, ShadowSpooky, Blackbluestarr, gamemaster001, Ilessthan3KH, HopelessRomantic1818, **and** Aaralynne**: You guys rock. Thanks so much for the support, and glad to hear you all enjoyed the chapter(s)!

Take care, and see you around!


	16. Christmas Special

Christmas Special

"Thanks for coming, guys!" Naminé hugged her departing guests tightly. "It was nice seeing all of you again."

Hayner, Pence and Olette— three of Roxas's very close friends from work— each took turns embracing the host.

"Thanks for the invite! Dinner was great," Olette said as she adjusted the purse that hung over her shoulder. "The dessert was wonderful too!"

"We have our neighbor to thank for that," Roxas added as he joined them at the door. "It's a shame you couldn't meet him. He's really nice."

"Well, I'll hold you to the task of one day introducing the genius behind that tiramisu." The tallest of the trio, Hayner, playfully slapped Roxas's shoulder. "I'll catch you later!"

"Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas!"

With the exchange of their final farewells for the evening, the majority of the guests departed from the Christmas party. Naminé slowly closed the door behind them, sighing happily. The night was, as expected, a success. It was the perfect end to a wonderful celebration.

"Ugh! Naminé, I swear you need to watch Roxas's weight. The fatty ate _way_ too much."

Naminé set her eyes on her brother-in-law, a mirthful smile forming on her face.

"Oh shut up, Ven." Her husband rolled his eyes.

"No thanks, Tubby. Is there another portion somewhere? No way in hell this is all that's left over from dessert!" Ven unabashedly searched the cupboards and refrigerator for more tiramisu.

"How am I the younger one?" Roxas asked himself tiredly.

Naminé giggled and made her way to husband, hugging him tightly as he rubbed his temples. "Just let him vent."

"He's like a child sometimes," Roxas said under his breath. His lowered voice still managed to reach his brother's ears.

"On the topic of children," Ven paused as he peeked around the wall that blocked his view from the kitchen, "should I expect a little version of Naminé or Roxas next Christmas, or is that not happening?"

"Both of you already know my answer." Naminé gave a pointed look to each of the siblings. "That's not happening until you and Roxas get over this little spat with your parents. I'm not going to let your immaturity prevent my child from having a set of grandparents who are completely willing to be a part of her—"

"Or his," Roxas interjected.

"—life. And when I say immaturity, Roxas, I'm not just talking to Ven," Naminé added with a poke to his chest.

"So you're saying that you will deny my nephew— or niece— the happiness of playing with _this singing tie_," Ven squeezed it to play a little Christmas song, "just because my Dad's an asshole?"

"If you want a child so badly, you could always arrange that," Roxas hinted. "You could… oh, I don't know, find a girl and marry her."

Ven gaped, looking back and forth between his smirking brother and sighing sister-in-law. "Nam, can you believe this guy? He's actually talking down to me! Sometimes I think you instilled a little _too much_ confidence in him."

The blonde shook her head. "I accept full responsibility for that."

"You know, Rox, just because you managed to talk to and nab a really hot girl in college does not make you better than me. And at least I'm not… not…"

"Not what?" Roxas raised brow, smiling as if he already won the argument.

"At least I'm not…" Ven looked at his brother up and down for added measure, "_fat._"

"Why you…!"

"Typical Christmas," Naminé muttered as she watched her husband dart after his brother. Like the children they insisted they weren't, the siblings ran around the kitchen and living room, shouting threats and trading insults. As strange as the event was, Naminé had come to accept the normality of it all. It wouldn't be a holiday get-together without a form of conflict between family members.

"Okay, I didn't think I was in the bathroom that long, but apparently I missed something."

Naminé turned to the other lone guest that remained. She had to crane her neck to meet his amused emerald eyes; he was so tall, in fact, that she barely managed to reach his shoulders with her heels on. "Boys will be boys, Axel." Naminé shrugged. "You heading out soon?"

"Of course. I wouldn't want to get in the way of your fun time with your husband," Axel said with a wink. "And by the way, you're going to want to wait a good five to ten minutes before entering the guest bathroom. Just saying."

"Lovely." Naminé inwardly groaned upon hearing her longtime friend's admission. It was something she could've done without.

"Ha! Eat it, Rox!" Ven exclaimed triumphantly over his brother. The older sibling successfully pinned Roxas to the ground.

"No! Get off me!" Roxas struggled to break free, but failed. Neither his wife nor his other guest made a move to help him.

"Why would I do that? You'd probably try to sit on me, and we all know that'll end in my death."

"For someone who's supposedly lean, you sure do eat a lot of sweets," Roxas grunted out. "You certainly feel heavier too."

"All right, children! Time's up!" Naminé clapped her hands together, pulling at Ven's shirt. "Come on, you. Get off him now."

"Whatever. I won again," Ven muttered with delayed compliance.

"You cheated." Roxas pushed himself off the ground, forced to stand behind his wife. She made sure to stand between them.

"How did I cheat? Not only did you need help from a _girl_, but you just got tired. Hate to say it bro, but you got _slower_."

"Hmm." The three blondes turned around to see Axel emerging from the kitchen, a small plate in his hand. "I can't get enough of this stuff!"

Gasping, Ven leapt over the couch to get to the kitchen. "No! My precious!"

"You didn't have to go that far." Naminé crossed her arms. The redhead's distraction plan worked, but judging by the way Ven whined in the kitchen, it might have been too much.

"You'll have to forgive me for taking sides." Axel sent a mischievous smirk Roxas's way before turning back to the kitchen. "Hey Ven! I think it's time for us to get going. There are a few more hours of Christmas that I'm sure these two have to celebrate alone."

"Jeez, Axel…" Roxas scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Not everyone is looking to get some tonight…"

"Excuses, excuses." Finishing the last of his food, Axel placed his dirty plate in the sink and pulled Ven out of the kitchen.

Ven wrapped his arms protectively around the small container that held the last of his treat. His eyes darted back and forth as if he were paranoid that someone was intending to snatch his food right out of his arms.

"Merry Christmas, you two." Axel pulled Naminé into a tight hug after exchanging a strong handshake with Roxas. "Hopefully I'll see you guys before the year ends. If not, then Happy New Year!"

"We hope you'll make it." Naminé turned to Ven. "As for you, I'm already expecting you to show."

"I will, I will." Ven returned the hug and kissed Naminé on the cheek. "Invite Sora, okay?"

"We already did. The neighbors are showing up, if that's any incentive." Roxas stepped forward, pulling his brother into a hug.

"I knew you were useful for something!" Ven teased. Holding his brother at arm's length, Ven patted Roxas's shoulder with a smile. "Merry Christmas. It was great spending it with you two."

Naminé relieved her guests of door-holding duties, allowing them to step out into the cool night. "Thank you for coming! Drive safely!"

"Bye!"

Roxas and Naminé watched their two friends walk away until they were out of view. As soon as they disappeared around the corner, the door to their apartment slowly shut.

"That was fun, wasn't it?" Roxas asked for his wife's opinion.

"Very. I'm so tired now!" Naminé stretched her arms above her head, yawning loudly. "Let's tidy up a bit before going to bed."

"You've been up since seven. Why don't you just get ready for bed? I'll turn on the dishwasher." Roxas didn't even wait for Naminé and instead went about cleaning. Left to her own devices, Naminé sauntered into the living room and collected the scattered remotes. She'd occasionally find a stray glass and return it to the sink, where Roxas was diligently rinsing a few dishes.

As she approached the staircase, Naminé noticed that one of the devices remained lit in their entertainment center. Curiosity detoured her route, and the blonde walked forward to examine the machine. She quickly recognized that the device controlled their speaker system. Naminé smiled. She forgot that they had lowered the volume to an inaudible level when they received a number of phone calls.

Now alone, Naminé turned up the speakers so that music played softly in the background. She immediately recognized the song from her newly bought Christmas album. Her lips began to mouth the lyrics of the holiday staple, performed by one of her favorite artists.

"Still haven't gone up yet?" Roxas asked as he emerged from the kitchen.

Naminé turned around, finding Roxas at the threshold of the kitchen as he dried his hands. "We left the speakers on this whole time."

"Oh. I forgot we even turned them down." Roxas returned to the kitchen, only to return seconds later without the towel. "Have I told you that you looked great tonight?"

After years of being together, Naminé found that she still found his compliments to be gush-worthy. She folded her hands behind her back and looked down at her maroon dress. "Thank you," she said as she looked him over as well. Though his pine green shirt was a little wrinkled from his little brotherly scuffle, Roxas still managed to pull off his dressy casual appearance. "You don't look so bad yourself, handsome."

Roxas laughed and turned off the light in the kitchen. The dishwasher quietly hummed underneath the sound of the music. "Shall we head off to bed?"

Naminé was about to nod, but the song they had been listening to came to an end. "Hold on. Let's see what the next song is."

Roxas walked over to the entertainment center where his wife was still standing. "Got to get your last fix?"

"Christmas is over. I'm gonna have to wait another eleven months before I have an excuse to listen to this again," Naminé reasoned.

"Fair enough."

Naminé slowly turned the knob, making the music slightly louder as the final minutes of their holiday began to wane. A ghost of a gasp escaped her lips when a familiar piano introduction started the next song. Eyes alit with joy, Naminé excitedly turned to Roxas and grabbed his hands. "Hey! Dance with me!"

"What? Now?"

"Yeah! Pretend it's the day you asked me out."

"N-Naminé…" Roxas stuttered, embarrassed by the sudden return of the particular memory.

"Took my request to heart, huh? That's my Roxas!" Before he could squeeze in a word of protest, Naminé pulled him to the center of the living room and wrapped her arms around his neck. Just a second later, the familiar feel of his arms encircling her waist greeted her senses.

The couple swayed slowly to the music, content with their simple environment and happy to be in the presence of their other half. Naminé occasionally raised her head from Roxas's shoulder, laughing when they made eye contact. It was rather silly of them to spend the final minutes of Christmas dancing in their living room, but at the same time the ridiculousness was easily set aside. None of that mattered. Not to them.

As the music picked up, Roxas raised his arm and allowed Naminé to spin. The two crashed together clumsily, recognizing that the move was more a statement of their skill— or lack thereof— rather than their chemistry.

They resumed their slow dance, this time pressed closely together. And then, as the music reached its end, Roxas and Naminé slowed into a sway until they found themselves standing still.

It was perfect. Not a second too long passed before Roxas lowered his lips to kiss the love of his life. "Merry Christmas, Naminé."

His wife pecked him on the lips once more, a full smile lighting her features. "Merry Christmas, Roxas."

* * *

><p><strong>Redeeming Endeavor<strong>: Thanks to everyone who added this story to their favorites or subscribed to it! Special thanks to my reviewers, **Sw1ft Blad3, BaconIsEpic, elspoek1, Burai Stelar, HopelessRoamntic1818, Shire Folk, Gear001, Zoe the Hunter, Spellbound, DestinyKeyblader28, Handwritten, beckster411, ilessthan3KH, Shadow Spooky, Revenge of the Red Pen, RoxasLuvsCookies, Isabelz3Cookies, InfinityStream, gr8azngrl, Aaralynne, KurukiXV, TheDarkNinjaPanda17, Mokimoki-chan, Animelover566, Lankyman, BandxGeek123321, TwinToshiro, Imagination Knight, LittleKeybladeNinja, Fyrrian, Mad Matt15, Shadic999, **and** sora93kairi**. I read every single one of your reviews, and though I may have missed a few replies, know that I am extremely grateful for all of your kind and encouraging words.

Merry Christmas everyone! Take care for me, all right? I'll see all of you around New Year's with the next special!


	17. New Year's Special

New Year's Special

Ven was generally the guy who looked like he knew what he was doing. Unbeknownst to those around him, the world was his stage and he the improvising actor.

He had gotten so good at pretending that real confidence formed. It was the reason why he succeeded in the world.

But there was one area that Ven simply could not master. It was an area that even his socially inept brother managed to traverse— and succeed— leaving Ven to wonder if he'd ever be able to outgrow his biggest and most persistent problem of his childhood.

For the life of him, Ventus could not communicate with a girl he was interested in.

It was truly the most embarrassing secret of his whole life. If anyone knew that his New Year's Resolution listed "talk to the coffee shop girl" at the top, they'd know that not only was it the only incomplete task remaining, but it was also there for a year.

It was time for action.

"Day three hundred and sixty-five. Today I will be completely my New Year's— well, it's more like an Old Year's Resolution now, but it was new at some point— ah, who cares! Starting over, starting over…" Ven lightly slapped his cheeks as he stared into the mirror.

He couldn't remember the last time he used the particular exercise to psych himself up for a task, but history proved that it helped him get through some tough and debilitating times. At some point in his life, Ven learned the importance of finding and defining himself. The simple notion allowed him to change himself, or at least enable him to undertake the more daunting tasks that life threw at him.

"All right, Ven. Today's the day you complete this year's list of resolutions. There will be no carry-overs. This is it. Today, you get it done."

Thirty outfit changes later, Ven finally felt he was ready to leave for the coffee shop. With a confident spring to his step, he left his home feeling more confident than ever before.

* * *

><p>Kairi stirred from her sleep and slowly sat up as the room around her came into focus. Before the blanket fell from her shoulders, Kairi quickly held it fast to her naked chest.<p>

She overslept again.

The other side of Sora's bed was empty, save for her cellphone placed in the center of his pillow. Kairi picked it up, laughing when she that Sora had changed her background.

He apparently had enough time in the morning to take a picture. Replacing her normal lock screen was a picture of Sora giving a thumbs-up next to her sleeping form. Shaking her head, Kairi unlocked her phone and read the message her boyfriend left her.

_Thought about posting this online, but then you'd probably hate me. Busy all day, will be late. Don't miss me too much_.

"What an ass," Kairi muttered between curved lips. With no more time to kill, Kairi quickly got up to search for her missing clothes. It wasn't too hard to recollect all of them, but for some reason, Kairi could not find her bra.

A nagging dread seeped into her. "Not again." Kairi groaned.

Sora had taken a liking to hiding what he described as an "unnecessary evil" from Kairi whenever he got the chance. This was the fourth bra Sora had successfully hidden.

Perhaps she could have prevented all of this if she didn't appear so amused when he struggled to remove the article of clothing, but watching him fumble and curse was one of the more hilarious— and consistent— events in Kairi's life. It _was_ rather sadistic of her to be tease like that, but he always managed to take it off _eventually._

She gave up her search after five minutes, deciding that she'd have to ask him for all of them later. He had trouble saying no to her when she used her puppy eyes anyway.

After freshening up, Kairi walked to the kitchen, surprised to find an empty apartment; but just as the unease began to set in, the lock on the front door turned. Riku and Xion walked in, both dressed in their running attire. Xion noticed Kairi first.

"Good morning! I see someone decided to sleep in." Xion walked into the kitchen, pulling two water bottles out of the refrigerator. She tossed one to Riku.

"You guys should have told me you were going to run! I would have gone with you." Kairi pouted as she prepared her breakfast.

"We actually went to your room this morning, but you weren't there." Riku smirked. "You must have been up really late."

"How's the weather outside?" Kairi quickly changed the subject. She was sure her roommates knew exactly where she was last night.

Xion had the mercy to answer. "It cooled a lot last night. It's cold enough that you have to have a jacket." She stared at Kairi for a moment, but seemed to abandon a conversation she wanted to start. "Got any plans for today?"

"I think I'm in charge of the liquor tonight, so I have quite the shopping list to tackle." With Sora cooking most of the food, Kairi was just glad she had a party-contributing skill to apply. "Any special requests?"

"Nope. I'm sure that whatever you have will suffice." Riku peeked at the list stuck to the refrigerator. "Well, I'm going to shower now. Start getting ready soon, Xion."

"I will, I will." Xion waved her hand, shooing Riku out of the kitchen. When he was gone, Xion started on their morning coffee. She flinched in surprise when something dropped from the coffee shelf of their cupboard. "Er, Kairi?"

"What's up?"

"Why is your bra in the cupboard?"

* * *

><p>Every ounce of courage Ven had previously mustered left on the short drive to the coffee shop. To properly utilize his time, Ven thought it would be a good idea to go over a few possible conversations in his head.<p>

"_Hey! Is that a gingerbread latte? We're like twinsies!" _

No. That was a straight shot to the friend zone.

"_Hi, I'm Ventus. You're Aqua, right? What are the chances! We both have Latin words for names!"_

That was just plain creepy. If he showed that he knew her name already, he was screwed.

"_So I've been coming here for the past year and noticed you like to come in too."_

No. Absolutely not. What was he, a stalker?

Whatever. He'd find a way to introduce himself. What to say beyond that point? Surely a conversation would develop past the point of introduction.

"_So what's it like to practice law?"_

Uh-uh. He wasn't supposed to know she was a lawyer.

"_Did you have to work today? Oh wow, that sucks. I'm pretty much self-employed and run the newspaper company headquartered across the street, so I'm off for the day."_

Huh. That just sounds kind of douchey.

"_Do you happen to have a boyfriend?"_

Why did that question even cross his mind? Even he knew that was inappropriate!

Before Ven knew it, he was sitting in the parking lot of the coffee shop. He nearly screamed. His thoughts fulfilled the job of passing the time, but it only proved to shred his bravery into little pieces. He rolled down the windows. It was ridiculously hot in his car.

A quick time check showed that he was a little early. If he was at work, this was normally the time he'd make his way over. Aqua usually arrived seconds before him, or at the very most, a minute. She was never too far ahead of him in line.

"Ugh, I shouldn't know that! Why do I know that?" Ven hit his head repeatedly on the steering wheel. "No! Get a grip, man!" With shaking fingers, Ven pulled down the vanity mirror and stared at himself one more time.

Confidence. It was all he needed. Confidence would carry him.

There was absolutely no reason to be afraid. He wasn't being narcissistic when he recognized the fact that he was attractive. And besides, he put on a sweater vest.

Sweater vests were sexy.

According to Naminé, at least. He texted her in the morning, and that was her recommendation. Then again, there was a possibility that Roxas got a hold of his wife's phone and told him that. It wouldn't be the first time Roxas screwed him over that way. Paranoia crept in with panic. If Roxas screwed this up for him, he would chop his brother's balls off… and apologize to Naminé afterward.

Ven tucked himself into the corner of the small café and waited for his last resolution to walk through the doors.

* * *

><p>The last day of the year passed in a blur, and pretty soon Kairi found herself hopping from conversation to conversation at the party hosted by Roxas and Naminé. She had to wonder how most of them were able to remain in such high spirits considering most of them worked, but maybe the smiles were merely hiding the fatigue. Ven, who did not have to work like her, was the only one who seemed a bit off. Though she prodded and poked at him, he gave no indication as to what was bothering him. The best she could do was offer him some advice. Telling him to start the next year with a smile on his face and leave all his regrets behind seemed to cheer him up a bit.<p>

Kairi walked out into the small patio behind their neighbors' apartment, finding her roommate standing outside. He seemed to be lost in thought, so she waited a few moments before speaking out. "Are you enjoying yourself so far?"

Sora perked up at the sound of Kairi's voice. He nodded, holding his arm out so Kairi could lean against him. "Yup. Their apartment is so nice compared to ours."

"You can say that again. I feel the need to redecorate the apartment now," Kairi said with a giggle. "So do you have any resolutions for this upcoming year?"

Sora hummed in thought. "I guess I should exercise more. I'm not as in shape as I was while in school. I bet even Riku could outlast me on a run."

"I don't think that's something to be ashamed of."

"It is if you're me," Sora joked with a shrug. "And I guess I should also be more responsible this year. I could use a bit more discipline, both in work and out of it."

Kairi smirked, catching Sora's reference to their little drunken incident earlier in the year. "That's a great goal to have."

"What about you?"

"I'd like to improve my work," Kairi answered. "I'm going to make sure I'm happier this year too. I think I made a few decisions this year that prevented me from being happy, so I'm going to try really hard not to stand in my own way."

"Do I have anything to do with that?" Sora raised a brow.

"More or less," Kairi replied cryptically. "By the way, you and I have to have a small talk on this bra-hiding business. Though I admit, hiding it in the coffee cabinet was a great decision. If it wasn't for Xion, I never would have found it."

"Aww, I hid it there because I knew you never would! And I thought Xion and Riku left before me." Sora sighed and shook his head. "So close."

"I'll have you know that I'll be searching the whole apartment for my clothes now." Kairi issued the challenge with a kiss to his cheek.

"Game on."

"Sora, Kairi!" Roxas called the couple from inside the house. "We're down to the last minute! Come in and grab some champagne!"

"We'll be right there!" Sora answered. He grabbed Kairi's hand, intertwining their fingers. "This year went by pretty fast, didn't it?"

"It sure felt like it. A lot happened too." Kairi followed Sora inside, graciously accepting her glass of champagne. Everyone gathered around the television, chattering excitedly as the announcer spoke rapidly in the waning minutes of the ending year.

Sora and Kairi shared a glance, trading smiles amidst the growing energy. In those final seconds, hundreds of memories passed between them, highlighting how their relationship grew from a fun friendship to a fulfilling relationship. The year had its ups and downs, but in the end, they were happy.

That was how they were intending to begin too. As the final twenty seconds ticked, Sora gave Kairi's hand a reassuring squeeze.

They joined the crowd in the countdown, and with a shout of cheer, Sora and Kairi welcomed their first New Year together.

* * *

><p><strong>Redeeming Endeavor<strong>:To **Vi chan, Mokimoki-chan, Burai Stelar, Emorii, elspoek1, Sw1ft Blad3****, DestinyKeyblader28, Aaralynne, KurukiXV, TwinToshiro, beckster411, Isabelz3Cookies, 0Wishful-Thoughts0, Revenge of the Red Pen, RoxasLuvsCookies, gr8azngrl, ShadowSpooky, sora93kairi, **and** Gumi Harue**, thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

I hope you all had a wonderful last night of 2011. I look forward to having an awesome 2012 with all of you!

Take care, and see you around!


	18. A Few Years Later

**Redeeming Endeavor: **I got a little nauseous while reading through some of the older things here. Gotta say, a lot has changed. It's been nearly two years. Glad to see that I've gotten a bit better- in my opinion, anyway. Why didn't anyone tell me how bad it was?

* * *

><p><span>A Few Years Later<span>

Love made people crazy and act in unpredictable ways. Sora witnessed love's power firsthand when his best friend, Riku, dropped to one knee and proposed to Xion. As Riku's longtime girlfriend— seriously, they'd been going out for more than a decade— Xion did the most predictable thing in the world and said _yes_.

Someone that predictable obviously wasn't in love.

No, that couldn't be true at all. They went back, far back. They reached the point at which love had been so unpredictable for so long that one could predict its unpredictability, if that actually meant anything at all. Additionally, Xion had to be in love with Riku to put up with his shit for so long. Riku also had to be insane for falling for, and subsequently staying so long with, the girl who publicly humiliated him during their freshman year of high school, back when they didn't really get along.

One timeless memory remained fresh in Sora's mind. It was in gym class, the last of their freshman year, and Riku and Xion were notoriously locked in a feud. Since it was the last gym class of the year, the teacher decided to share his recurring lecture on how to live a healthy and fulfilling life.

"You are what you eat," Coach Phil had preached.

Without missing a beat, Xion had said: "Well, Riku, that officially makes you a dick."

Sora smiled fondly at the memory. Riku had always been a confident, if not cocky, guy. But there was only so much a fifteen-year-old high school boy could take. It probably didn't help that even Sora laughed at the dig. So after trading a few choice words with Xion, Riku marched to the principal's office with her.

The summer that followed sucked. Love, or something like it, had entered the equation. Riku and Xion started going out— because that made _perfect_ sense— and Sora played the role of the shafted best friend while simultaneous earning his cock-block achievement, which would have awarded him a trophy if it was an actual life achievement. The rest was history.

Well, not quite. In the last pep rally of their high school career, Xion and Riku had been selected as student emcees for the event. After one of their peers had won free food for the blitzball game later that day, Xion signed her fate by quoting the gym teacher's famous lecture.

"Don't go too crazy1 Coach Phil always said you are what you eat!" Xion had said.

In front of an entire school that knew the two were dating, Riku finally exacted revenge for a grudge he had been holding for three years. Without missing a beat, Riku muttered into his microphone, "Well, I guess that makes me a pussy."

Riku was subsequently suspended from playing in the blitzball game that night. Without their captain, the team lost the game, failing to make school history with an undefeated regular season. Instead, Riku's legacy was telling the whole school, students and teachers alike, that he ate out his girlfriend so often that he turned into a vagina.

The older, current, and doctor version of Riku came into view, replacing the eighteen-year-old of Sora's memory. "What's with that weird smile?" Riku asked as he approached.

"Just thinking about the early years of the Riku-Xion era," Sora replied. He stirred his drink with his straw. "Can't believe a guy I've known since I was five is getting married. I mean, you guys have been going out for a while. A really long while. Really."

"We're too young to start feeling nostalgic. And by the way, I'm taking this," Riku said as he plucked the drink from Sora's hands. "Sora the One-Shot Wonder won't be making an appearance tonight if I can help it."

Sora furrowed his brow. Was the alcohol already taking effect? No wonder why taking his clothes off seemed like a good idea when the room got warmer. "You now, I'm really happy for you. You guys deserve to be happy."

Riku rolled his eyes. "Oh boy. Here we go."

"I'm serious! Sober Sora is still here—"

"Sober Sora shouldn't cast doubt by talking in third person," Riku muttered.

"— and I'm genuinely happy that you're marrying someone who still likes you despite how boring you've become," Sora said. He turned to the bartender and ordered a water.

Riku laughed. "Holy shit, Sora. I already apologized for not being able to go rock-climbing with you on a _weekday_. You definitely shouldn't have asked after a twelve-hour shift."

"Excuses, excuses. Like I said, you're an old fart now. Pretty soon you're going to have a kid and be a parent." Sora blanched at the last word as if it had left an awful taste in his mouth.

"Yeah, well you know what? You're going to be the honorary uncle. Then I'm going to make you my future child's godfather. Yeah, that's right. Responsibility." Riku held his hands up like he had just delivered a huge verbal blow.

"Oh hell no. Don't you dare put that burden on me," Sora warned.

"You know I will. Try me, Sora."

"You won't. If you do that, I will spoil your kid until all you're left with is a smaller, meaner, and shitter version of yourself. Then you'll wish the little shit had never been born," Sora said in a low voice.

"Right. The stress will probably end up killing me and Xion, and as the godparent, you'll be left with the very monster you created," Riku said.

The two men fell into hysterics just as the newly-engaged party guest joined them.

"Do I even want to know what you two were talking about?" Xion asked.

"Sora was just telling me how he plans to murder us and steal our future child," Riku said, wrapping his arm around his fiancée.

"It's a poorly conceived plan that needs some revising," Sora said as he drank his water. "Congrats on getting engaged, by the way. I don't know about you, but it took me by surprise."

"Really? Both our families are here and we've invited our close friends. Seemed obvious to me," Xion said.

"Sora, why do you think I told you not to miss this party?" Riku asked.

"I thought you were just being narcissistic and egomaniacal. Isn't this a party you threw so you could brag about officially becoming a practicing doctor?" Sora asked.

"He has a point," Xion said.

"Thanks," Riku deadpanned.

The conversation ended as guests flocked to tables for lunch. The tone of the party completely shifted ever since it became an engagement party. Nobody gave a shit that Riku was not a board-certified doctor— perhaps no one cared in the first place and only showed up for the food and drinks. Then again, Sora was the only one who didn't see an engagement looming. He could, however, agree with the popular opinion:

It was about damn time.

Unfamiliar people, not quite strangers and not quite acquaintances, took up most of the tables. They were probably all medical professionals themselves, work friends of the future bride and groom. Sora weaved through the guests and waiting staff and sat at the only vacant table in the corner. Where the hell were the people he knew?

As if on cue, they walked right through the double wooden doors of the room. The group, led by a stoic redhead, retreated to the corner where Sora sat as guests received the first course. Sora opened his mouth to speak when they reached him.

"Hi—"

"I'm submitting my resignation letter tomorrow. I'd rather be unemployed than work for this freaking idiot," Kairi said. She dropped into the seat adjacent to Sora, her back straight and her hands curled into fists.

Sora smiled weakly. This wasn't the first time she threatened to quit. "Kairi, it's not—"

"I just missed the moment of my friends' marriage proposal!" Kairi snapped. "Don't you dare finish that sentence."

Sora shrugged. This wasn't his fury to front. He instead turned to Roxas and Naminé, who were parting chairs to make room for a stroller. "Roxas, Naminé. How are you? How's the baby?"

Naminé adjusted something in the carriage and beamed. "We're fine, and the baby's sleeping," she answered at once. "Can't believe he slept through that car ride. Loudest whisper fight in my life."

"Kairi was about to cut a bitch," Roxas said, chuckling as he pushed Naminé's chair in. "No offense," he added.

"None taken," Ven chirped.

Rather than tell Ven of his incorrect assumption, Sora moved Kairi's silverware away from her.

"What'd we miss?" Ven asked.

"Oh, only the moment my friends got engaged," Kairi said.

"Okay, time to fill me in," Sora said. "What happened?"

"Ven didn't listen to me. That's all you need to know." Kairi flipped her hair and breathed in even, calculated intervals.

"Ven and Kairi swung by our place a little late. Against Kairi's suggestion, Ven took the highway instead of going the normal route and ran into some traffic," Naminé said. "We probably should have driven ourselves. Everyone would have been here on time."

"Oh, don't blame yourselves!" Ven said. "No one could have guessed that Riku was going to propose anyway."

Naminé winced. "Actually—"

"Are you serious?" Kairi hissed. "This whole thing _screamed_ engagement party. Only an idiot like you wouldn't see it coming."

Sora unfolded his napkin and placed it over his lap, electing to sit the conversation out.

"It wasn't that obvious," Ven said unconvincingly. "Right, Roxas?"

Roxas smiled at his wife and scratched the back of his head. "Actually, nobody gathers a crowd like this to celebrate passing the board. Sorry, Ven."

"I can't be the only one who didn't know." Ven turned to Sora, pleading for another person to take the heat off his back.

Sora cleared his throat. "Yeah, I uh, I totally saw it coming. Pretty obvious with the… you know, family here. And stuff."

* * *

><p>The rest of the lunch proceeded normally, with everyone getting out alive and Kairi ultimately being placated with a recording of the entire event. When asked about why he didn't record the proposal, Sora gave a shitty excuse involving a bad view and no space left on his cell phone. Kairi never found out that the only person surprised in the room that moment was Sora.<p>

With a more familiar group of friends, Sora eased up. He watched Roxas and Naminé fawn over their first child, Ven deflect call after call from work, and Kairi slowly inching closer and closer to the carriage until she held the baby in her arms.

A lot had changed in three years, all of which in ways Sora couldn't have guessed or seen coming. Back in the day when they still lived in Apartment B-2, he never would have guessed he'd still be dating his surprise roommate, or even have such a strong relationship with the neighbors across the hallway. The one common denominator was Kairi, who became Ven's personal assistant when he took his father's place in the family business, and who kept in touch with Naminé and Roxas long after moving out.

If there was one thing stable in his life, one thing Sora could always depend on, it was Kairi.

Sora waited patiently as Kairi showered her godchild with kisses. She returned the baby to his rightful parents and sat next to Sora.

"Still going to quit?" Sora asked, calling out her empty threat.

"I know it bothers you that I spend more time with another man most of the day, but you know I can't," Kairi said as she took Sora's hand.

Sora whistled. "Damn. That escalated quickly. You went right for the jugular."

"You bark, I bite." Kairi smiled to herself and looked to Riku's and Xion's table. "Can you believe they're finally getting married? I bet their parents are so ready for this to finally happen."

"They've pretty much been married ever since we graduated college," Sora said. "Wasn't it fun when we lived with them? We were like their kids or something."

"I'd say we turned out all right too," Kairi said. "I wonder what their real kid will be like."

"Probably some smart, athletic, and super-attractive child with perfect genes."

"Is that jealousy or resentment I'm sensing?"

"Both. On the bright side, I'm going to be that child's godfather," Sora said smugly. "I'm gonna be the cool uncle."

"Nice. Joining the godparent club!" They sat in silence for a while, shoulders brushing and fingers intertwining. Kairi looked at their hands, her left in his right, and then turned to him. "So, are you going to make me ask?"

Sora bit back a smile. He had gotten much better at understanding their unspoken conversations. "Well, it's not like I can ask any time for the rest of the engagement. It'd be rude to steal Xion's spotlight."

"You're totally enjoying this."

Sora leaned in and kissed Kairi's cheek. "Patience, Kairi. One of these days I'm going to marry you. In fact, I'm going marry you so hard that… yeah, I don't know where I was going with that. But I'm going to marry you."

Kairi laughed, leaning on his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her. "Sounds like the perfect plan," she said quietly. "I'll be waiting."

* * *

><p><strong>Redeeming Endeavor<strong>: Thanks for reading! After going through a whole year and nearly ten months, we finally get something out of this group. They've changed. Like, you know, a baby and all. No big deal.

I thought I could squeeze this in earlier, but this month passed in a flash. I probably won't be able to update LPA until October at this rate.

Anyway, that's all. Feel free to review, if you'd like. I don't know when I'll update this again. It's all dependent on whether or not I feel the need to dump something out of my head.

Take care, and see you around.


	19. End

End

Sora approached his old apartment building and walked through the hallway. He knew where his old unit was, but he eyed each number until he found the pair he was looking for.

Apartment B-2; across from it, Apartment B-4.

He smiled.

The door looked like it had been painted a while ago. The scratches along the finish near the door handle—the side-effect of trying to insert a key on drunken nights—had been covered up. His eyes fell down to the doormat, which said "Wipe Your Paws" in a cursive font. The new tenants must have been dog owners.

It looked different, but the memories were still there. He and Kairi had sat in the space right next to the door and ate their melting ice cream. They had also encountered Roxas and Naminé that day, a fact that they never told the couple even to this day. And, if Riku was a reliable source, a pile of sand from a fillable sign had been dumped out here on one of the crazier nights.

Sora chuckled and grabbed the doorknob. The sound of metal on metal clinked as his ring tapped the metal handle. He let go.

He did a lot of growing up in that apartment. He had practiced his cooking in that kitchen and slept in the living room more times than he cared to count because he had been too far gone to make it to his room. He had ambushed his friends around the corners for a cheap scare, he'd hidden clothes in the cupboard, and he'd met the woman of his dreams who had, probably illegally, taken residence in this three-bedroom, two-bath apartment in the room across the hallway.

He turned to look at Apartment B-4. He knew its secrets: it had started off as a project and actually combined two apartment units. It had hosted many parties, some more low-key than others, and it had never failed to deliver the fun. Sora never thought his neighbors would prove to be lifelong friends. He had been glad to find out that, despite his knowledge of their activities when they thought they were alone and unheard, he could appreciate them as irreplaceable friends with incredible values.

The tenants of B-2 and B-4 had moved on years ago. Now, they probably housed recent graduates or budding families.

Sora left the building and walked out of the parking lot. A new gate had been installed since he had lived here. Seeing as how it was incredibly easy to sneak in, perhaps they needed to beef up security. Or maybe the gate was a fixture meant not to deter people who wanted to see their old residencies, but to grant the current tenants peace of mind.

Across the street was the park, which had remained unchanged despite the passage of time. Two people were using the swing set: one a mother, the other a daughter. Sora watched for a moment before crossing the street, away from the apartment of his past and toward his wife and daughter.

There were memories on this swing set too, but they were slowly being overwritten.

His daughter's laughter echoed louder with each push, her red hair flying wildly behind her.

"Daddy! Daddy! Watch this!" his daughter yelled. She launched herself off the swing despite her mother's protest and tucked into a roll, kicking up sand as she bounced back to her feet. "Look how far I got!"

"Now where did you learn that?" Kairi asked, a hint of a smile on her face as she tried to give her daughter a disapproving look.

Sora held a finger to his lip. His daughter shook her head.

"Me!" their daughter declared. She ran over to the slide and started climbing the steps.

"She got farther than you got, if I remember correctly," Sora said as he wrapped his hand around his wife's waist.

Kairi rotated her wedding ring, a tic she had developed in recent years to keep herself calm. She tilted her head as she watched her daughter clumsily climb up the slide stairs. She sighed in relief and cheered their daughter on as she slid down.

Kairi turned back to Sora. "Rolling doesn't count," she said with a smile.

Sora cupped her cheek and kissed her. "It does, though. I definitely came out a winner here." He released her and began walking toward their daughter, ready to swoop in and scoop her up. "Besides, are you really going to tell her that rolling doesn't count?"

* * *

><p><strong>Redeeming Endeavor<strong>: This was never supposed to amount to anything. It was supposed to be an idea dump, and it was supposed to be a hot mess of random happenings and exercises.

And then it morphed into a plotless but connected string of stories. So if it needed wrapping up, here it is.

With this, I'm officially done. Redeeming Endeavor ends today.

(Except, of course, when Kyorii and Jomatto come calling for some collaborations. They're my baby daddies. Mommas. Yeah.)

In case you don't read my other story, LPA, I'll say it again: that's it from RE! I'll be moving on in a serious attempt at writing as a career. If you want to follow me beyond this point, just let me know and I'll give you some details!

Thank you very much for the support, the laughs, and the encouragement I got from your kind words. You readers are all incredible, and for that I'm extremely grateful. It was a pleasure writing for you all. It was the least I could do for what you've given me.

Thanks for finding entertainment in this short hot mess of writing whimsy. Take care, and maybe I'll see you around someday.


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